The Essence of Dharma

Verse 1 (garuda.1.221.1)

ब्रहामोवाच । धर्मसारमहं वक्ष्ये संक्षेपाच्छुणु शङ्कर । भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं सूक्ष्मं सर्वपापविनाशनम्

brahāmovāca dharmasāramahaṁ vakṣye saṁkṣepācchuṇu śaṅkara bhuktimuktipradaṁ sūkṣmaṁ sarvapāpavināśanam

Brahma said: O Shankara, I shall now declare the essence of dharma; hear it in brief — subtle, granting both enjoyment and liberation, destroying all sin.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.221.2)

श्रुतं धर्मं बलं धैर्यं सुखमुत्साहमेव च । शोको हरति वै नॄणां तस्माच्छोकं परित्यजेत्

śrutaṁ dharmaṁ balaṁ dhairyaṁ sukhamutsāhameva ca śoko harati vai nṝṇāṁ tasmācchokaṁ parityajet

Learning, dharma, strength, courage, happiness, and enthusiasm — grief steals all these away from men; therefore one should abandon grief.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.221.3)

कर्मदाराः कर्मलोकाः कर्मसम्बन्धिबान्धवाः । कर्माणि प्रेरयन्तीह पुरुषं सुखदुः खयोः

karmadārāḥ karmalokāḥ karmasambandhibāndhavāḥ karmāṇi prerayantīha puruṣaṁ sukhaduḥ khayoḥ

Wife, worlds, and kinsmen and friends — all come through one's own karma; it is deeds alone that impel a person here toward happiness and sorrow.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.221.4)

दानमे परो धर्मो दानात्सर्वमवाप्यते । दानाःत्स्वर्गश्च राज्यञ्च दद्याद्दनं ततो नरः

dāname paro dharmo dānātsarvamavāpyate dānāḥtsvargaśca rājyañca dadyāddanaṁ tato naraḥ

Giving is the highest dharma; through giving everything is obtained. Through giving one attains heaven and kingship; therefore a man should give in charity.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.221.5)

एकतो दानमेवाहुः समग्रवरदक्षिणम् । एकतो भयभीतस्य प्राणिनः प्राणरक्षणम्

ekato dānamevāhuḥ samagravaradakṣiṇam ekato bhayabhītasya prāṇinaḥ prāṇarakṣaṇam

On one side, giving with full and excellent fees is called charity; on the other, saving the life of a creature terrified by fear is charity too.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.221.6)

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण यज्ञैः स्नानेन वा पुनः । धर्मस्य नाशका ये च ते वै निरयगामिनः

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa yajñaiḥ snānena vā punaḥ dharmasya nāśakā ye ca te vai nirayagāminaḥ

Those who destroy dharma — whether gained through austerity, celibacy, sacrifice, or bathing — go indeed to hell.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.221.7)

ये च होमजपस्नानदेवतार्चनतत्पराः । सत्यक्षमादयायुक्तास्ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः

ye ca homajapasnānadevatārcanatatparāḥ satyakṣamādayāyuktāste narāḥ svargagāminaḥ

Those devoted to fire-offering, recitation, bathing, and worship of the deity, endowed with truth, forbearance, and the rest — such men go to heaven.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.221.8)

न दाता सुखदुः खानां न च हर्तास्ति कश्चन । भुञ्जते स्वकृतान्येव दुः खानि च सुखानि च

na dātā sukhaduḥ khānāṁ na ca hartāsti kaścana bhuñjate svakṛtānyeva duḥ khāni ca sukhāni ca

There is no giver of happiness and sorrow, nor any taker-away; one experiences only the sorrows and joys of one's own making.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.221.9)

धर्मार्थं जीवितं येषां दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते । सन्तुष्टः को न शक्नोति फलमूलैश्च वर्तितुम्

dharmārthaṁ jīvitaṁ yeṣāṁ durgāṇyatitaranti te santuṣṭaḥ ko na śaknoti phalamūlaiśca vartitum

Those whose life is dedicated to dharma cross over hardships. For the contented man, is it hard to live on fruits and roots?

Verse 10 (garuda.1.221.10)

सर्व एव हि सौख्येन सङ्कटान्यवगाहते । इदमेव हि लोभस्य कार्यं स्या दतिदुष्करम्

sarva eva hi saukhyena saṅkaṭānyavagāhate idameva hi lobhasya kāryaṁ syā datiduṣkaram

Everyone plunges into hardship in the pursuit of pleasure; this indeed is the exceedingly difficult work of greed.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.221.11)

लोभात्क्रोधः प्रभवति लोभाद्द्रोहः प्रवर्तते । लोभान्मोहश्च माया च मानो मत्सर एव च

lobhātkrodhaḥ prabhavati lobhāddrohaḥ pravartate lobhānmohaśca māyā ca māno matsara eva ca

From greed springs anger; from greed arises treachery; from greed come delusion, deceit, pride, and envy.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.221.12)

रागद्वेषानृतक्रोधलोममोहमदोज्झितः । यः स शान्तः परं लोकं याति पापविवर्जितः

rāgadveṣānṛtakrodhalomamohamadojjhitaḥ yaḥ sa śāntaḥ paraṁ lokaṁ yāti pāpavivarjitaḥ

He who is free of passion, hatred, falsehood, anger, greed, delusion, and pride — such a peaceful man, free of sin, attains the supreme world.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.221.13)

देवता मुनयो नागा गन्धर्वा गुह्यका हर । धार्मिकं पूजयन्तीह न धनाढ्यं न कामिनम्

devatā munayo nāgā gandharvā guhyakā hara dhārmikaṁ pūjayantīha na dhanāḍhyaṁ na kāminam

O Hara, the gods, sages, serpents, gandharvas, and guhyakas honor here only the righteous soul — not the wealthy, and not the lustful.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.221.14)

अनन्तबलवीर्येण प्रज्ञया पौरुषेण वा । अलभ्यं लभते मर्त्यस्तत्र का परिवेदना

anantabalavīryeṇa prajñayā pauruṣeṇa vā alabhyaṁ labhate martyastatra kā parivedanā

By boundless strength and valor, by wisdom, or by manly effort, a mortal obtains even what seems unattainable — what grief, then, can there be?

Verse 15 (garuda.1.221.15)

सर्वसत्त्वदयालुत्वं सर्वेन्द्रियविनिग्रहः । सर्वत्रानित्यबुद्धित्वं श्रेयः परमिदं स्मृतम्

sarvasattvadayālutvaṁ sarvendriyavinigrahaḥ sarvatrānityabuddhitvaṁ śreyaḥ paramidaṁ smṛtam

Compassion toward all beings, restraint of all the senses, and the awareness of impermanence in everything — this is remembered as the highest good.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.221.16)

पश्यन्निवाग्रतो मृत्युं यो धर्मं नाचरेन्नरः । अजागलस्तनस्येव तस्य जन्म निरर्थकम्

paśyannivāgrato mṛtyuṁ yo dharmaṁ nācarennaraḥ ajāgalastanasyeva tasya janma nirarthakam

The man who does not practice dharma even while seeing death right before him — his birth is as useless as the dangling udder on a goat's neck.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.221.17)

भ्रूणहा ब्रह्महा गोघ्नः पितृहा गुरुतल्पगः । भूमिं सर्वगुणोपेतां दत्त्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते

bhrūṇahā brahmahā goghnaḥ pitṛhā gurutalpagaḥ bhūmiṁ sarvaguṇopetāṁ dattvā pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Even the killer of an unborn child, the killer of a brahmin, the killer of a cow, the killer of a father, and one who defiles his guru's bed — by giving land endowed with every virtue, is freed from these sins.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.221.18)

न गोदानात्परं दानं किञ्चिदस्तीति मे मतिः । या गौर्न्यायार्जिता दत्ता कृत्स्नं तारयते कुलम्

na godānātparaṁ dānaṁ kiñcidastīti me matiḥ yā gaurnyāyārjitā dattā kṛtsnaṁ tārayate kulam

There is, in my judgment, no gift higher than the gift of a cow; a cow lawfully earned and given carries the whole lineage across.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.221.19)

नान्नदानात्परं दानं किञ्चिदस्ति वृषध्वज ! । अन्नेन धार्यते सर्वं चराचरमिदं जगत्

nānnadānātparaṁ dānaṁ kiñcidasti vṛṣadhvaja ! annena dhāryate sarvaṁ carācaramidaṁ jagat

O bull-bannered one, there is no gift higher than the gift of food; by food alone this whole moving and unmoving world is sustained.

Verse 20 (garuda.1.221.20)

कन्यादानं वृषोत्सर्गस्तीर्थसेवा श्रुतं तथा । हस्त्यश्वरथदानानि मणिरत्नवसुन्धराः

kanyādānaṁ vṛṣotsargastīrthasevā śrutaṁ tathā hastyaśvarathadānāni maṇiratnavasundharāḥ

The gift of a daughter, the release of a bull, service at sacred fords, and Vedic study, and the gift of elephants, horses, chariots, jewels, gems, and land —

Verse 21 (garuda.1.221.21)

अन्नदानस्य सर्वाणि कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् । अन्नात्प्राणा बलं तेजश्चान्नाद्वीर्यं धृतिः स्मृतिः

annadānasya sarvāṇi kalāṁ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm annātprāṇā balaṁ tejaścānnādvīryaṁ dhṛtiḥ smṛtiḥ

— all of these together are not worth even a sixteenth part of the gift of food. From food come the vital breaths, strength, and splendor; from food come vigor, steadfastness, and memory.

Verse 22 (garuda.1.221.22)

कूपवापीतडागादीनारामांश्चैव कारयेत् । त्रिसप्तकुलमुद्धृत्य विष्णुलोके महीयते

kūpavāpītaḍāgādīnārāmāṁścaiva kārayet trisaptakulamuddhṛtya viṣṇuloke mahīyate

One should have wells, step-wells, tanks, and gardens built; by so doing, one uplifts twenty-one generations of one's family and is glorified in the world of Vishnu.

Verse 23 (garuda.1.221.23)

साधूनां दर्शनं पुण्यं तीर्थादपि विशिष्यते । कालेन तीर्थं फलति सद्यः साधुसमागमः

sādhūnāṁ darśanaṁ puṇyaṁ tīrthādapi viśiṣyate kālena tīrthaṁ phalati sadyaḥ sādhusamāgamaḥ

The sight of the saintly is a merit surpassing even a sacred ford; a ford bears fruit only in time, but the company of the saintly bears fruit at once.

Verse 24 (garuda.1.221.24)

सत्यं दमस्तपः शौचं सन्तोषश्च क्षमार्जवम् । ज्ञानं शमो दया दानमेष धर्मः सनातनः

satyaṁ damastapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaśca kṣamārjavam jñānaṁ śamo dayā dānameṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

Truth, self-control, austerity, purity, contentment, forbearance, honesty, knowledge, tranquility, compassion, and giving — this is the eternal dharma.