Shloka 21

आचार्य-धर्मलक्षण-श्रद्धाभक्तिप्राधान्यं तथा लिङ्गे ध्यान-पूजाविधानसंकेतः

Adhyaya 10

Devanagari script

तत्तद्गुणवते देयं दातुस्तद्दानलक्षणम् दानं त्रिविधमित्येतत् कनिष्ठज्येष्ठमध्यमम्

Transliteration

tattadguṇavate deyaṃ dātustaddānalakṣaṇam dānaṃ trividhamityetat kaniṣṭhajyeṣṭhamadhyamam

Translation

യോഗ്യഗുണങ്ങളുള്ള പാത്രത്തിനേ ദാനം നൽകണം; അതാണ് ദാതാവിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ ലക്ഷണം. ദാനം മൂന്നു തരമെന്ന് പറയുന്നു—കനിഷ്ഠം, മധ്യമം, ജ്യേഷ്ഠം—ഭാവവും ശുദ്ധിയും അനുസരിച്ച്.

Word by Word

• tat-tat: of that appropriate kind

• guṇavate: to a virtuous/qualified person

• deyam: should be given

• dātuḥ: of the giver

• tat: that

• dāna-lakṣaṇam: defining characteristic/mark of charity (and of the donor)

• dānam: charitable giving

• tri-vidham: threefold

• iti: thus

• etat: this

• kaniṣṭha: inferior/lowest

• jyeṣṭha: श्रेष्ठ/highest

• madhyamam: middling/medium

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames dana as a supporting discipline to Shiva-puja: offering rightly (to a worthy recipient, with proper intent) refines the devotee’s bhava and makes worship spiritually effective.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Implicitly, Shiva-tattva is the purifier and liberator (Pati): as the pashu practices dharma like qualified giving, pasha weakens and the soul becomes fit for Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Dana as a dharmic upacara allied to Shaiva sadhana—graded by quality (inferior/medium/supreme) and determined by the recipient’s guṇa and the donor’s intention.