Verse 7.86

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

पात्रस्य हि विशेषेण श्रद्दधानतयैव च ।
अल्पं वा बहु वा प्रेत्य दानस्य फलमश्नुते ॥ ८६ ॥

pātrasya hi viśeṣeṇa śraddadhānatayaiva ca |
alpaṃ vā bahu vā pretya dānasya phalamaśnute || 86 ||

For one obtains, after death, the reward, small or great, of his gifts,—according to the peculiar character of the recipient, and also according to his own faith.—(86)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The term ‘pātra’ etymologically signifies either (a) ‘one who saves from sinful deeds’, or (b) ‘one who saves and protects himself’;—i.e., the recipient; or the recipient is called ‘pātra’ in the same sense in which the vessel containing clarified butter is called its ‘pātra’; the substance given away is deposited in the recipient in the same manner in which the butter is deposited in the vessel. This is what has been declared above (82)—“For kings this is interminable, and has been called Brahmic treasure.”

The ‘peculiar character’ of the recipient consists in his possessing or not possessing, proper qualifications. It is by reason of these qualifications that rewards of gifts are obtained.

‘Or small.’—When the gift is mads to one who is possessed of excellent qualifications, in the shape of character and Vedic learning, it brings a ‘great’ reward, and when made to one who has no qualifications, it brings a small reward.

‘According to his own faith.’ To this effect we have the following text:—(see verse 7.86b)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 303), to the effect that the value of a gift varies in proportion to the qualifications of its giver and receiver.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.85-86)

See Comparative notes for Verse 7.85.