Shloka 40
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
घृतालाभे तु यो दद्यात् तिलधेनुं यतव्रत: । स दुर्गात् तारितो थेन्वा क्षीरनद्यां प्रमोदते
ghṛtālābhe tu yo dadyāt tiladhenuṁ yatavrataḥ | sa durgāt tārito dhenuvā kṣīranadyāṁ pramodate ||
ತುಪ್ಪ ಲಭ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲದಾಗ ವ್ರತ-ನಿಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿರನಾಗಿ ಎಳ್ಳಿನಿಂದ ಮಾಡಿದ ಧೇನುವನ್ನು ದಾನ ಮಾಡುವವನು, ಆ ಧೇನು-ದಾನದ ಪುಣ್ಯದಿಂದ ಸಂಕಟದಿಂದ ತಾರಲ್ಪಟ್ಟು ಕ್ಷೀರನದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆನಂದಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.
नाचिकेत उवाच
Educational Q&A
If an ideal offering (here, ghee) is unavailable, one should still practice disciplined charity by giving an appropriate substitute (tiladhenu). Sincere, vow-guided giving protects one from adversity and yields auspicious, even heavenly, results.
Naciketa states a rule of gift-giving: in the absence of ghee, a vow-observant donor gives a sesame-made ‘cow’ as a ritual donation. The merit of that gift is said to deliver the donor from danger and grant joy in the symbolic ‘river of milk’ in the next world.