Shloka 5

Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death

Devanagari script

गां तिलांश्च क्षितं हेम यो ददाति द्विजन्मने / तस्य जन्मार्जिर्त पापं तत्क्षणादेवनश्यति

Transliteration

gāṃ tilāṃśca kṣitaṃ hema yo dadāti dvijanmane / tasya janmārjirta pāpaṃ tatkṣaṇādevanaśyati

Translation

جو دْوِج (برہمن) کو گائے، تل، زمین اور سونا دان کرتا ہے، اس کے عمر بھر کے جمع شدہ گناہ اسی لمحے مٹ جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• क्षितम्: land (a plot)
• क्षितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति/क्षित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘भूमि/भूमिदानम्’

• हेम: gold
• हेम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्/हेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• द्विजन्मने: to a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजन्मने: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (द्विजः जन्म यस्य/द्विजन्मा = ब्राह्मणः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• जन्मार्जित: acquired from birth
• जन्मार्जित: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म-आर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘आर्जित’ from √अर्ज्; समासः तत्पुरुषः (जन्मना आर्जितम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apādāna (Ablative source/time-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तस्मिन् क्षणे)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• नश्यति: perishes/is destroyed
• नश्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna of specified items (cow, sesame, land, gold) to a dvija has immediate pāpa-kṣaya (sin-destruction).

Vedantic Theme: Karma purification (citta-śuddhi) through dharmic action; efficacy of śāstric injunction when performed with proper recipient and intent.

Application: Practice intentional giving—especially of sustenance and wealth—toward qualified, ethical recipients; pair generosity with repentance and future restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-mahātmyas of go-dāna and tila-dāna (general); Garuda Purana: prayāścitta through gifts (general)

Characters & Entities

• Dwijas (Brahmanas)

FAQs

What is the importance of dāna (charity) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents dāna—especially gifting a cow, sesame, land, and gold to a qualified dvija—as a powerful prāyaścitta that can immediately destroy lifetime-accumulated pāpa.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda context, reducing pāpa through prescribed acts like dāna is taught as a way to lessen post-death suffering and improve the departed person’s karmic condition during the after-death passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice sincere, ethical giving—supporting worthy recipients and dharmic causes—while treating charity as moral purification paired with right conduct, not as a substitute for harmful actions.