Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 37

Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla

प्रीता: प्रीणन्ति सततं मानिता मानयन्ति च । अवज्ञातावधूताश्न निर्दहन्त्यधमान्‌ नरान्‌

prītāḥ prīṇanti satataṃ mānitā mānayanti ca | avajñātā avadhūtāś ca nirdahanty adhamān narān ||

प्रीताः प्रीणन्ति सततं मानिता मानयन्ति च । अवज्ञातावधूताश्च निर्दहन्त्यधमान् नरान् ॥

प्रीताःbeing pleased / satisfied
प्रीताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रीत (√प्री)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
प्रीणन्तिthey gladden / satisfy
प्रीणन्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√प्रीण्
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
सततम्always / continually
सततम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसतत
मानिताःbeing honored / respected
मानिताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमानित (√मान्)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
मानयन्तिthey honor / respect
मानयन्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√मान्
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अवज्ञाताःbeing disregarded / disobeyed
अवज्ञाताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअवज्ञात (√ज्ञा + अव)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अवधूताःbeing insulted / slighted
अवधूताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअवधूत (√धू + अव)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
निःout / completely (prefix-like particle)
निः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनिः
दहन्तिthey burn
दहन्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√दह्
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
अधमान्base / vile
अधमान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअधम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
नरान्men / humans
नरान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural

शुक्र उवाच

Ś
Śukra
D
deities (devatāḥ)
M
men (narāḥ)

Educational Q&A

Honor and reverence toward the divine (and by extension toward worthy beings) bring protection and well-being, while contempt and neglect invite destructive consequences; the verse frames this as a moral law of reciprocity.

Śukra is instructing about proper conduct: he contrasts the benefits that arise when deities are pleased and respected with the ruin that follows when they are insulted or scorned.