Yajnavalkya's Teaching on the Law of Giving

Verse 1 (garuda.1.98.1)

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच । अथ दानिविधिं वक्ष्ये तन्मे श्रृणुत सुव्रताः । अन्येभ्यो ब्राह्मणाः श्रेष्ठास्तेभ्यश्चैव क्रियापराः

yājñavalkya uvāca atha dānividhiṁ vakṣye tanme śrṛṇuta suvratāḥ anyebhyo brāhmaṇāḥ śreṣṭhāstebhyaścaiva kriyāparāḥ

Yajnavalkya said: Now I shall declare the rule of giving; hear it from me, O virtuous ones. Brahmins are superior to others; and among them, those devoted to ritual observance are superior still —

Verse 2 (garuda.1.98.2)

ब्रह्मवेत्ता च तेभ्योऽपि पात्रं विद्यात्तपोऽन्विताः (तम्) । गोभूधान्यहिरण्यादि पात्रे दातव्यमर्चितम्

brahmavettā ca tebhyo'pi pātraṁ vidyāttapo'nvitāḥ (tam) gobhūdhānyahiraṇyādi pātre dātavyamarcitam

and superior even to them is the knower of Brahman — know him, along with those endowed with austerity, to be the worthy recipient. Cows, land, grain, gold, and the like should be given, duly honored, to a worthy recipient.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.98.3)

विद्यातपोभ्यां हीनेन न तु ग्राह्यः प्रतिग्रहः । गृह्णन्प्रदातारमधो नयत्यात्मानमेव च

vidyātapobhyāṁ hīnena na tu grāhyaḥ pratigrahaḥ gṛhṇanpradātāramadho nayatyātmānameva ca

One devoid of learning and austerity should not accept a gift; by accepting it, he brings down both the giver and himself.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.98.4)

दातव्यं प्रत्यहं पात्रे निमित्तेषु विशेषतः । याचितेनापि दातव्यं श्रद्धापूतं तु शक्तितः

dātavyaṁ pratyahaṁ pātre nimitteṣu viśeṣataḥ yācitenāpi dātavyaṁ śraddhāpūtaṁ tu śaktitaḥ

Gifts should be given daily to a worthy recipient, especially on special occasions. Even to one who asks, one should give, purified by faith, according to one's ability.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.98.5)

हेमश्रृङ्गी शफैः रौप्यैः सुशीला वस्त्रसंयुता । सकांस्यापात्रा दातव्या क्षीरिणी गौः सदक्षिणा

hemaśrṛṅgī śaphaiḥ raupyaiḥ suśīlā vastrasaṁyutā sakāṁsyāpātrā dātavyā kṣīriṇī gauḥ sadakṣiṇā

A cow, gentle in nature, with horns capped in gold and hooves in silver, adorned with cloth, along with a bronze vessel, giving milk, together with a sacrificial fee, should be given —

Verse 6 (garuda.1.98.6)

दशसौवर्णिकं श्रृङ्गं शफं सप्तपलैः कृतम् । पञ्चाशत्पलिकं पात्रं कांस्यं वत्सस्य कीर्त्त्यते

daśasauvarṇikaṁ śrṛṅgaṁ śaphaṁ saptapalaiḥ kṛtam pañcāśatpalikaṁ pātraṁ kāṁsyaṁ vatsasya kīrttyate

the horn-cap made of ten gold suvarnas, the hoof-caps made of seven palas; a bronze vessel of fifty palas is declared for the calf —

Verse 7 (garuda.1.98.7)

स्वर्णपिप्पलपात्रेण वत्सो वा वत्सिकापि वा । अस्या अपि च दातव्यमपत्यं रोगवर्जितम्

svarṇapippalapātreṇa vatso vā vatsikāpi vā asyā api ca dātavyamapatyaṁ rogavarjitam

with a golden vessel shaped like a pippala-leaf, a male or female calf should accompany the gift; and its offspring too, free of disease, should be given.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.98.8)

दाता स्वर्गमवाप्नोति वत्सरान्रोमसंमितान् । कपिला चेत्तारयते भूयश्चासप्तमं कुलम्

dātā svargamavāpnoti vatsarānromasaṁmitān kapilā cettārayate bhūyaścāsaptamaṁ kulam

The giver attains heaven for as many years as there are hairs on the cow's body; and if it is a Kapila cow, it delivers the family up to the seventh generation as well.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.98.9)

यावद्वत्सस्य द्वौ पादौ मुखं योन्यां प्रदृश्यते । तावद्गौः पृथिवी ज्ञेया यावद्गर्भं न मुञ्चति

yāvadvatsasya dvau pādau mukhaṁ yonyāṁ pradṛśyate tāvadgauḥ pṛthivī jñeyā yāvadgarbhaṁ na muñcati

As long as the two forelegs and the mouth of the calf are visible at the birth-passage, for that long the cow should be regarded as equal in merit to the earth — until it has fully released the calf.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.98.10)

यथा कथञ्चिद्दत्त्वा गां धेनुं वाऽधेनुमेव वा । अरोगामपरिक्लिष्टां दाता स्वर्गे महीयते

yathā kathañciddattvā gāṁ dhenuṁ vā'dhenumeva vā arogāmaparikliṣṭāṁ dātā svarge mahīyate

Having given a cow in whatever way — whether a milking cow or a dry one — free of disease and unmistreated, the giver is exalted in heaven.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.98.11)

श्रान्तसंवाहनं रोगिपरिचर्य्या सुरार्चनम् । पादशौचं द्विजोच्छिष्टमार्जनं गोप्रदानवत्

śrāntasaṁvāhanaṁ rogiparicaryyā surārcanam pādaśaucaṁ dvijocchiṣṭamārjanaṁ gopradānavat

Massaging the exhausted, attending upon the sick, worshipping the gods, washing feet, and clearing away a brahmin's leftovers — these have the same merit as the gift of a cow —

Verse 12 (garuda.1.98.12)

द्विजाय यदभीष्टं तु दत्त्वा स्वर्गमवाप्नुयात् । भूदीपांश्चान्नवस्त्राणि सर्पिर्दत्त्वा व्रजेच्छ्रियम्

dvijāya yadabhīṣṭaṁ tu dattvā svargamavāpnuyāt bhūdīpāṁścānnavastrāṇi sarpirdattvā vrajecchriyam

Having given to a brahmin whatever is desired, one attains heaven. Having given land, lamps, food, clothes, and ghee, one attains prosperity.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.98.13)

गृहधान्यच्छत्रमाल्यवृक्षयानघृतं जलम् । शय्यानुलेपनं दत्त्वा स्वर्गलोके महीयते

gṛhadhānyacchatramālyavṛkṣayānaghṛtaṁ jalam śayyānulepanaṁ dattvā svargaloke mahīyate

Having given a house, grain, an umbrella, a garland, a tree, a vehicle, ghee, water, a bed, and unguents, one is exalted in the world of heaven.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.98.14)

ब्रह्मदाता ब्रह्मलोकं प्राप्नोति सुरदुर्लभम् । वेदार्थयज्ञशास्त्राणि धर्मशास्त्राणि चैव हि

brahmadātā brahmalokaṁ prāpnoti suradurlabham vedārthayajñaśāstrāṇi dharmaśāstrāṇi caiva hi

The giver of knowledge of Brahman attains the world of Brahma, hard even for the gods to attain. Treatises on the meaning of the Veda, on sacrifice, and on dharma —

Verse 15 (garuda.1.98.15)

मूल्येनापि लिखित्वापि ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्नुयात् । एतन्मूलं जगद्यस्मादसृजत्पूर्वमीश्वरः

mūlyenāpi likhitvāpi brahmalokamavāpnuyāt etanmūlaṁ jagadyasmādasṛjatpūrvamīśvaraḥ

given, whether purchased or copied by hand, lead to the attainment of the world of Brahma — since the Lord, in the beginning, created this world from this very source.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.98.16)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कार्य्यो वेदार्थसंग्रहः । इतिहासपुराणं वा लिखित्वा यः प्रयच्छति

tasmātsarvaprayatnena kāryyo vedārthasaṁgrahaḥ itihāsapurāṇaṁ vā likhitvā yaḥ prayacchati

Therefore, with every effort, one should compile the meaning of the Veda. Whoever, having copied the Itihasas or the Puranas, gives them away —

Verse 17 (garuda.1.98.17)

ब्रह्मदानसमं पुण्यं प्राप्नोति द्विगुणोन्नतिम् । लोकायतं कुतर्कश्च प्राकृतम्लेच्छभाषितम्

brahmadānasamaṁ puṇyaṁ prāpnoti dviguṇonnatim lokāyataṁ kutarkaśca prākṛtamlecchabhāṣitam

obtains merit equal to the gift of Brahman-knowledge, with double the elevation. Materialist philosophy, sophistic argument, and speech in Prakrit or foreign tongues —

Verse 18 (garuda.1.98.18)

न श्रोतव्यं द्विजेनैतदधो नयति तं द्विजम् । समर्थो यो न गृह्णीयाद्दातृलोकानवाप्नुयात्

na śrotavyaṁ dvijenaitadadho nayati taṁ dvijam samartho yo na gṛhṇīyāddātṛlokānavāpnuyāt

should not be listened to by a twice-born; these bring that twice-born down. He who, though capable of accepting a gift, does not accept it, attains the same worlds as the giver.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.98.19)

कुशाः शाकं पयो गन्धाः प्रत्याख्येया न वारि च । अयाचिताहृतं ग्राह्यमपि दुष्कृतकर्मणः

kuśāḥ śākaṁ payo gandhāḥ pratyākhyeyā na vāri ca ayācitāhṛtaṁ grāhyamapi duṣkṛtakarmaṇaḥ

Kusha grass, vegetables, milk, scents, and water should never be refused. What is brought unasked may be accepted even from a person of evil deeds —

Verse 20 (garuda.1.98.20)

अन्यत्र कुलटाषण्डपतितेभ्यो द्विषस्तथा । देवातिथ्यर्चनकृते पितृतृप्त्यर्थमेव च । सर्वतः प्रतिगृह्णीयादात्मतृप्त्यर्थमेव च

anyatra kulaṭāṣaṇḍapatitebhyo dviṣastathā devātithyarcanakṛte pitṛtṛptyarthameva ca sarvataḥ pratigṛhṇīyādātmatṛptyarthameva ca

except from an unchaste woman, an impotent man, a fallen person, or an enemy. For the worship of gods and guests, for the satisfaction of the ancestors, and for one's own satisfaction as well, one may accept from anyone.