Shloka 40
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
दानमेव परं श्रेष्ठं दानं सर्वप्रभावकम् । तस्माद्दानं ददस्व त्वं दानात्पुण्यं प्रवर्तते
dānameva paraṃ śreṣṭhaṃ dānaṃ sarvaprabhāvakam | tasmāddānaṃ dadasva tvaṃ dānātpuṇyaṃ pravartate
Dāna (sedekah) semata-mata adalah yang paling utama; dāna berkesan dalam segala hal. Maka berilah dāna; kerana daripada memberi, puṇya (pahala suci) lahir dan bertambah.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दानम् + एव → दानमेव; तस्मात् + दानम् → तस्माद्दानम्; दानात् + पुण्यम् → दानात्पुण्यम्
FAQs
It teaches that dāna (charitable giving) is the सर्वोत्तम (highest) dharmic act and that it generates puṇya (spiritual merit).
It calls charity “sarva-prabhāvaka,” meaning it is broadly effective—capable of producing beneficial results across aims such as purification, welfare, and merit.
It urges proactive generosity: one should actually give (dadasva), because merit is not merely praised in theory—it is said to arise through the act of giving.