Matsya Purana — The Rite of Donating the Golden Mountain, Shloka 2
उत्तमः पलसाहस्रो मध्यमः पञ्चभिः शतैः तदर्धेनाधमस्तद्वद् अल्पवित्तो ऽपि शक्तितः दद्यादेकपलादूर्ध्वं यथाशक्त्या विमत्सरः //
uttamaḥ palasāhasro madhyamaḥ pañcabhiḥ śataiḥ tadardhenādhamastadvad alpavitto 'pi śaktitaḥ dadyādekapalādūrdhvaṃ yathāśaktyā vimatsaraḥ //
ഉത്തമ ദാനമാനം ആയിരം പലം; മധ്യമം അഞ്ചുനൂറ് പലം; അധമം അതിന്റെ പകുതി. അല്പവിത്തനുമെങ്കിലും അസൂയയില്ലാതെ, തന്റെ ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് കുറഞ്ഞത് ഒരു പലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മേലോട്ടു ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.
FAQs
This verse does not discuss pralaya; it focuses on dāna-dharma—how charity is graded by quantity and should be performed according to one’s capacity.
It sets a practical ethic for both rulers and householders: donations have graded standards, but the core duty is to give within one’s means, starting from a minimum, and to do so without jealousy or resentment.
No Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated here; the ritual significance is the calibration of dāna (gift) by traditional measures (pala) and the emphasis on the donor’s intention (vimatsara).