Shloka 33

The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts

Devanagari script

पीठदाता दीपदाता सर्वदुष्कृतवर्जितः । स्वर्गे सिंहासने तिष्ठेज्ज्वलद्दीपावलीवृतः

Transliteration

pīṭhadātā dīpadātā sarvaduṣkṛtavarjitaḥ | svarge siṃhāsane tiṣṭhejjvaladdīpāvalīvṛtaḥ

Translation

جو نشست گاہ کا دان دے اور جو چراغ کا دان دے، وہ ہر بدعملی سے پاک ہو جاتا ہے؛ سُورگ میں جلتے ہوئے دیوں کی قطاروں سے گھرا ہوا تخت پر بیٹھتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• pīṭha-dātā: giver of a seat
• pīṭha-dātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक; √dā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (pīṭhaṃ dadāti iti)

• dīpa-dātā: giver of a lamp
• dīpa-dātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक; √dā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

• sarva-duṣkṛta-varjitaḥ: free from all misdeeds
• sarva-duṣkṛta-varjitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त; √vṛj/varj धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘वर्जित’ = excluded/avoided; समासः (sarvāṇi duṣkṛtāni varjitāni yena)

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• siṃhāsane: on a throne
• siṃhāsane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃhāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tiṣṭhet: would stand/remain
• tiṣṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धाातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• jvalat-dīpāvalī-vṛtaḥ: surrounded by rows of shining lamps
• jvalat-dīpāvalī-vṛtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvalat (कृदन्त; √jval धातु, शतृ) + dīpa-āvalī (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛta (कृदन्त; √vṛ धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘jvalat’ = present participle; ‘vṛta’ = surrounded; समासः (jvaladbhiḥ dīpāvalībhiḥ vṛtaḥ)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Brahma-khaṇḍa; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: tiṣṭhejjvalat- = tiṣṭhet + jvalat (t + j → jj); dīpāvalī-vṛtaḥ is a compound with kta-participle vṛta; sarvaduṣkṛtavarjitaḥ treated as a compound adjective.

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It teaches the merit (puṇya) of charitable giving—specifically donating a seat and a lamp—stating that such gifts cleanse wrongdoing and yield heavenly honor.

Why are a seat (pīṭha) and a lamp (dīpa) highlighted?

A seat symbolizes support, hospitality, and enabling learning or worship; a lamp symbolizes illumination, auspiciousness, and removal of darkness—both are practical gifts with strong ritual-ethical symbolism.

What ethical lesson does this verse emphasize?

It emphasizes generosity and service-oriented giving: offering comfort (a seat) and light (a lamp) is portrayed as a dharmic act that purifies the giver and leads to elevated outcomes.