Shloka 19
Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla
अमृतं मंगलं विद्धि महद्विषममंगलम् । ओपषघध्यो ह्ामृतं सर्वा विषं तेजोडग्निसम्भवम्
amṛtaṁ maṅgalaṁ viddhi mahad viṣamam aṅgalam | oṣadhyo hy amṛtaṁ sarvā viṣaṁ tejo 'gnisambhavam ||
అమృతాన్ని మంగళకరమని తెలుసుకో; విషాన్ని మహా అమంగళకరమని తెలుసుకో. సమస్త ఔషధులు ‘అమృత’మని చెప్పబడ్డాయి; విషం అగ్నిజనితమైన తేజస్సు.
शुक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches moral discernment through a vivid contrast: what preserves life and brings welfare (amṛta, and by extension healing herbs) is auspicious, while what destroys and burns (poison, described as fire-born potency) is profoundly inauspicious.
Śukra is delivering a didactic instruction, defining and contrasting ‘auspicious’ and ‘inauspicious’ by using the well-known opposition of nectar versus poison, and extending the idea to medicines as life-giving ‘nectar’ and poison as destructive, fiery energy.