Shloka 15

मुक्ता-उत्पत्ति-भेदाः, मूल्य-मान-निर्णयः, शोधन-परीक्षा-लक्षणानि

Pearl Sources, Valuation, Refinement, and Identification

Devanagari script

हिंसन्ति यस्याहिशिरः समुत्थं मुक्ताफलं तिष्ठति कोशमध्ये / नाभ्येति मेघप्रभवं धरित्रीं विप्रद्गतं तद्विबुधा हरन्ति

Transliteration

hiṃsanti yasyāhiśiraḥ samutthaṃ muktāphalaṃ tiṣṭhati kośamadhye / nābhyeti meghaprabhavaṃ dharitrīṃ vipradgataṃ tadvibudhā haranti

Translation

جس کے سبب سانپ کا پھن اٹھ کر ڈس لیتا ہے، جیسے سیپی کے اندر موتی بند رہتا ہے؛ اسی طرح بادلوں سے پیدا ہونے والی بارش زمین تک نہیں پہنچتی—ویسے ہی برہمن کو دیا ہوا مال یا پُنّیہ دانا وِبُدھ لوگ چھین لیتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• हिंसन्ति: they harm
• हिंसन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• अहि-शिरः: snake’s head
• अहि-शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहि (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• समुत्थम्: arisen/produced
• समुत्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-स्था (धातु) → समुत्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participial adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• मुक्ता-फलम्: pearl-fruit (pearl)
• मुक्ता-फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• तिष्ठति: stands/remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• कोश-मध्ये: in the sheath/inside the pod
• कोश-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अभ्येति: approaches/comes to
• अभ्येति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• मेघ-प्रभवम्: cloud-born
• मेघ-प्रभवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• धरित्रीम्: the earth
• धरित्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• विप्रद्गतम्: gone to a brāhmaṇa / obtained by a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रद्गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle of गम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• विबुधाः: the wise/learned (or gods)
• विबुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• हरन्ति: they take away
• हरन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa, Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna once given—especially to a brāhmaṇa—should not be reclaimed; wrongful appropriation rebounds as harm and loss of merit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyati (moral causality) governing sukṛta and its depletion; dharma as an impersonal order (ṛta/dharma) that protects rightful giving.

Application: Do not retract gifts, wages, or promised support; treat charitable/religious donations as irrevocable; maintain integrity in patronage and alms.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-mahātmyas and brāhmaṇa-apacāra warnings (general thematic parallels); Garuda Purana: karma-phala discussions where merit is ‘lost’ by adharma (general)

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (Vipra)
• Vibudhāḥ (the wise/learned)

FAQs

What is the importance of not taking back a gift in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse warns that merit does not ‘reach’ the giver when a donation is retracted; instead, the benefit is removed—implying a loss of puṇya and a dharmic fault.

How does this verse explain the flow of merit (puṇya)?

Through the rain-and-earth metaphor, it suggests puṇya must ‘arrive’ through proper completion of dāna; if the gift is seized back (especially from a brāhmaṇa), the intended spiritual result fails.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Give thoughtfully and only what you can sustain; once given in good faith, do not reclaim it—protecting integrity, trust, and the dharmic value of charity.