Shloka 26

The Legend of Hemakuṇḍala: Charity, Decline of the Sons, and Yama’s Judgment

Devanagari script

अपात्रे तद्धनं दत्तं क्षिप्तं बीजमिवोषरे । न सत्पात्रे च तद्दत्तं न ब्राह्मणमुखे हुतम्

Transliteration

apātre taddhanaṃ dattaṃ kṣiptaṃ bījamivoṣare | na satpātre ca taddattaṃ na brāhmaṇamukhe hutam

Translation

అపాత్రునికి ఇచ్చిన ధనం ఉషరభూమిలో పడేసిన విత్తనంలాంటిది; అది సత్పాత్రునికి ఇచ్చినట్టుకాదు, బ్రాహ్మణముఖంలో హుతంగా అర్పించినట్టుకూడా కాదు।

Word by Word

• apātre: in/unto an unworthy recipient
• apātre: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); 'अपात्र' = unworthy recipient

• tad-dhanam: that wealth
• tad-dhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'तत् धनम्'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) → datta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive sense) with 'tad-dhanam'

• kṣiptam: thrown
• kṣiptam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु) → kṣipta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमा-वाक्ये 'बीजम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• bījam: seed
• bījam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); उपमेय (thing compared)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): उपमावाचक (comparative 'like')

• uṣare: in barren soil
• uṣare: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle): निषेध

• sat-pātre: in/unto a worthy recipient
• sat-pātre: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'सत् पात्रे' = worthy recipient; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): समुच्चय (and)

• tad-dattam: given (properly)
• tad-dattam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + datta (कृदन्त; dā धातु)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'तत् दत्तम्' = that (wealth) given; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle): निषेध

• brāhmaṇa-mukhe: in the mouth of a Brahmin (i.e., into sacred fire/ritual channel)
• brāhmaṇa-mukhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'ब्राह्मणस्य मुखे'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• hutam: offered (as oblation)
• hutam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु) → huta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'offered' (as oblation)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa 3.30)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: taddhanaṃ = tad-dhanam; bījamivoṣare = bījam iva uṣare; taddattaṃ = tad-dattam; brāhmaṇamukhe = brāhmaṇa-mukhe

Characters & Entities

• Brahmin (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the central teaching of this verse about charity (dāna)?

It teaches that charity must be given to a worthy recipient (satpātra); giving to an unworthy person (apātra) becomes fruitless, like sowing seed on barren land.

Why does the verse compare unworthy giving to seed on barren ground?

The metaphor emphasizes lack of results: just as barren soil cannot yield a crop, giving to an apātra fails to produce the intended spiritual merit and beneficial outcomes.

What ethical lesson does “brāhmaṇamukhe hutam” convey here?

It frames proper giving as a sacred, merit-bearing act—akin to an oblation—implying that offering to a qualified Brahmin (or worthy recipient) is traditionally regarded as spiritually efficacious.