Shloka 45
Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy
विभवे दानशक्तिश्च नाल्पस्य तपसः फलम् / दानाद्भोगानवाप्नोति सौख्यं तीर्थस्य सेवनात् / सुभाषणान्मृतो यस्तु स विद्वान्धर्मवित्तमः
vibhave dānaśaktiśca nālpasya tapasaḥ phalam / dānādbhogānavāpnoti saukhyaṃ tīrthasya sevanāt / subhāṣaṇānmṛto yastu sa vidvāndharmavittamaḥ
വിഭവമുള്ളവന് ദാനശക്തി ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കണം; തപസ്സിന്റെ ഫലം ചെറുതല്ല. ദാനത്തിലൂടെ ഭോഗങ്ങൾ ലഭിക്കുന്നു; തീർത്ഥസേവനത്തിലൂടെ സുഖം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ സుభാഷിത വചനങ്ങളോടെ ദേഹം വിടുന്നവൻ തന്നെയാണ് യഥാർത്ഥ ജ്ഞാനിയും ധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠജ്ഞനും।
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Dana, tapas, and tirtha-seva yield tangible and intangible fruits; the highest mark is departing with subhashita grounded in dharma-knowledge.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga orientation: right action and purity of speech refine the mind (antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi) and support higher wisdom.
Application: Give according to capacity; maintain disciplined effort; regularly serve sacred places/communities; cultivate truthful, gentle, beneficial speech—especially in final days.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: pilgrimage site
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring dana-mahatmya and tirtha-mahatmya passages in Dharma-kanda sections; Garuda Purana: teachings on satya-hita-mita-vacana and auspicious death-remembrance themes
FAQs
This verse states that charity directly yields bhoga (worldly comforts/enjoyments) as a fruit of merit, making dāna a practical dharmic means to accumulate punya.
Rather than describing punishments, it highlights what supports a righteous life before death—dāna, tapas, and tīrtha-sevā—and emphasizes that leaving life with noble speech marks true dharmic wisdom, shaping one’s karmic trajectory.
Give according to your capacity, maintain disciplined self-restraint, visit and serve sacred places with sincerity, and cultivate truthful, kind, and beneficial speech—especially in moments of conflict and at life’s end.