Shloka 11
गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting
कथं वा बहुदाता स्यादल्पदात्रा सम: प्रभो । अल्पप्रदाता बहुद: कथं स्वित् स्यादिहेश्वर,प्रभो! बहुत दान करनेवाला पुरुष अल्प दान करनेवालेके समान कैसे हो जाता है? तथा सुरेश्वर! अल्प दान करनेवाला पुरुष बहुत दान करनेवालेके तुल्य किस प्रकार हो जाता है?
śakra uvāca | kathaṃ vā bahudātā syād alpādātrā samaḥ prabho | alpāpradātā bahudaḥ kathaṃ svit syād iheśvara prabho ||
“Wahai Tuhan, bagaimana orang yang memberi banyak boleh menjadi setara dengan orang yang memberi sedikit? Dan wahai Penguasa, bagaimana orang yang memberi sedikit boleh sebanding di dunia ini dengan pemberi yang besar? Jelaskanlah kepadaku, wahai Tuhan.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: the moral worth of charity is not judged only by quantity. It invites the principle that intention, faith, purity of means, and proportion to one’s capacity can make a small gift spiritually equal to a large one, while pride or improper motive can diminish even great giving.
Indra (Śakra) addresses a revered authority (Prabhu/Īśvara) and asks for clarification about the apparent paradox in the ethics of giving—how great and small donors can become equal in merit, and under what conditions a small donor may be regarded like a great donor.