Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla
वन्या ग्राम्याश्वेह तथा कृष्टोप्ता: पर्वताश्रया: । अकण्टका: कण्टकिनो गन्धरूपरसान्विता:
śukra uvāca |
vanyā grāmyāś ca iha tathā kṛṣṭoptāḥ parvatāśrayāḥ |
akaṇṭakāḥ kaṇṭakino gandharūparasānvitāḥ ||
Śukra disse: “Aqui, algumas árvores são silvestres e outras são cultivadas junto às aldeias; algumas são plantadas depois de a terra ser lavrada, enquanto outras surgem por si mesmas em regiões montanhosas. Entre elas, há as sem espinhos e as espinhosas; contudo, todas são dotadas de fragrância, forma e sabor.”
शुक्र उवाच
The verse highlights natural diversity: beings arise through different conditions—wild, cultivated, or self-grown—yet all share inherent qualities. Ethically, it supports a dharmic outlook that recognizes common endowments amid outward differences.
Śukra is speaking in an instructive mode, using the example of trees—village-grown, forest-grown, planted, or mountain-born—to illustrate variety in the world and the shared presence of qualities like fragrance, form, and taste.