Shloka 39

The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts

Devanagari script

मधुदो गुडदश्चैव मर्त्यो यातीक्षुसागरम् । लवणप्रदो नरो याति वारुणं लोकमेव च

Transliteration

madhudo guḍadaścaiva martyo yātīkṣusāgaram | lavaṇaprado naro yāti vāruṇaṃ lokameva ca

Translation

Seorang insan fana yang bersedekah madu dan gula merah (gud) akan menuju ke Samudra Tebu; dan orang yang bersedekah garam sesungguhnya mencapai loka Varuṇa.

Word by Word

• मधुदः: giver of honey
• मधुदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + द (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मधु ददाति’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दाता)

• गुडदः: giver of jaggery
• गुडदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड + द (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गुडं ददाति’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इक्षुसागरम्: the sugarcane ocean
• इक्षुसागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु + सागर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘इक्षोः सागरः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• लवणप्रदः: giver of salt
• लवणप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लवणं प्रददाति’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वारुणम्: of Varuṇa
• वारुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लोकम्)

• लोकम्: world, realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Unspecified (context-dependent within Brahma-khaṇḍa narration)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: hasya

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: गुडदश्चैव = गुडदः + च + एव; यातीक्षुसागरम् = याति + इक्षुसागरम्; लोकमेव = लोकम् + एव

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It teaches dāna (charitable giving) through a karma-phala lens: specific gifts (honey, jaggery, salt) are said to lead to specific posthumous attainments (the Sugarcane Ocean; Varuṇa’s realm).

Who is Varuṇa in this context?

Varuṇa is a Vedic deity associated with cosmic order and waters; “Varuṇa’s world” (Vāruṇa-loka) is presented as a heavenly realm attained through the merit of giving salt.

Why are honey, jaggery, and salt singled out as gifts?

They are essential, preservative, and life-supporting substances in traditional society; the verse frames their donation as especially meritorious, mapping everyday generosity to cosmological rewards.