Chapter 2 - The Benefit of Different Kinds of Charitable Gifts

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-5. There is no month equal to Vaiśākha.^[1] There is no Yuga equal to Kṛta; there is no holy text equal to the Veda; there is no Tīrtha equal to Gaṅgā.

There is no charitable gift comparable to that of water; there is no happiness on a par with that of a wife; there is no wealth comparable to agriculture and there is no gain greater than life.

There is no austerity comparable to observance of fast; there is no happiness greater than that of a charitable gift. There is no holy rite equal to mercifulness; there is no refulgence on a par with the eye.

There is no satisfaction similar to that of taking food; there is no business activity comparable to agriculture. There is no friend on a par with virtue; there is no reputation like that of truthfulness.

There is no acquisition on a par with good health; there is no saviour greater than Keśava; there is no purifier equal to Vaiśākha, as the learned know.

6-10. Vaiśākha is the greatest month. It is always a favourite of Viṣṇu. If anyone were to pass this month dearest to Viṣṇu, without observing holy rites, he is reborn in the wombs of sub-human species like birds, animals. He is excluded from all pious activities.

If any human being spends the month of Vaiśākha without observing Vratas, his Iṣṭāpūrta (performing sacrifices, building ghats, repairing lakes and wells etc.) is futile.

If there is any (self-imposed) restraint on having food one is accustomed to have in Vaiśākha, certainly, he will attain Sāyujya with Viṣṇu. There is no doubt about it.

In this world there are different kinds of Vratas that can be observed only by spending much wealth. They cause much strain to the body and they yield (result in) rebirth. But merely by taking holy bath in the month of Vaiśākha, one is not reborn on the earth.

11. By offering water in the month of Vaiśākha one attains that merit which is obtained by making all types of charitable gifts and visiting all Tīrthas.

12. If one is incapable of offering water, one should induce others to do it, if one is desirous of prosperity. It is more conducive to welfare than all charitable gifts.

13. If all charitable gifts are placed in one pan and the gift of water is placed in the other pan and weighed in a balance, the gift of water excels.

14. One who donates Prapās (free-water sheds) for wayfarers, uplifts a crore of the members of his family. He is honoured in the world of Viṣṇu.

15. Offering water through Prapās gives excessive pleasure to Devas, Pitṛs and Sages, O excellent king. It is true. There is no doubt at all.

16. If those who are tired due to long walk along the road are delighted by means of Prapās, Devas including Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva are propitiated by him.

17-19. Water should be given to those who wish for it. An umbrella should be given to those who desire shade. In the month of Vaiśākha, O king, fans should be given to those who wish for fans. At the advent of the month of Vaiśākha, water, umbrella and fan should be given to a Brāhmaṇa householder. The gift of these articles is (considered) excellent. By not giving a waterpot, one is reborn as a Cātaka bird (who depends on rainfall for drinking water).

20. If a person gives cool water to a noble-souled person oppressed by thirst, O eminent king, by that act itself he shall get the merit of ten thousand Rājasūyas.

21. He who fans a Brāhmaṇa oppressed by heat and fatigue shall become free from sins by that (act) itself. He shall become the overlord of heaven-walkers (Devas etc).

22. By not giving fans to Brāhmaṇas in the month of Vaiśākha one becomes afflicted with hundred types of rheumatic ailments and goes to hell.

23. If a person fans with even a cloth an excellent Brāhmaṇa tired by (a walk) along the road, he shall become liberated by that itself and shall attain Sāyujya with Viṣṇu.

24. By giving a fan made of Palmyra leaf with a pure mind, one gets rid of all sins and goes to the world of Brahmā.

25. If a man does not give the meritorious fan that dispels fatigue, he suffers torture in hell and is reborn on the earth as a leper.

26. O lord of men, one shall ardently give an umbrella at least once in the month of Vaiśākha for suppressing the three types of miseries, viz. those originating in the body, those from other creatures and those from destiny.

27. One who does not give an umbrella in the course of the month of Vaiśākha of which Mādhava is fond, is reborn on the earth as a highly cruel ghost in a place devoid of any shade.

28. He who gives excellent sandals in the month of Vaiśākha is liked by Viṣṇu, disregards the messengers of Yama and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.

29. If a person gives footwear in the month of Vaiśākha at the advent of the vernal season, he has not to suffer the distresses of this world nor will he go to the world of hells.

30. He who gives footwear to a Brāhmaṇa who requests for it, is reborn as a king on the earth in the course of a crore births undoubtedly.

31. It is not possible even for Brahmā to describe the merit of that person who erects a pavilion on the way that dispels the fatigue of helpless persons.

32. The limit of the benefit of that person has not been seen (even) by Brahmā, who feeds a Brāhmaṇa who has come (to his house) as a guest.

33. O king, the gift of cooked food is conducive to immediate satisfaction. Hence there is no other gift on a par with cooked food in all the worlds.

34. Even Brahmā is not competent to describe the merit of that person who offers shelter to a Brāhmaṇa who is weary due to long walk on the way.

35. If a person does not eat sufficiently, wives, children, abodes etc., clothes, ornaments, embellishments etc. are unbearable to him. To a person who feeds himself properly, all these are certainly tolerable.

36-37. Hence a gift equal to that of food has never been seen before, nor will ever be seen in future.

He who has not made the gift (of food) in the month of Vaiśākha to a Brāhmaṇa who plods his weary way, shall be born on the earth as a ghost eating his own flesh. Hence cooked food must be given to Brāhmaṇas in accordance with one’s affluence.

38. O king, the giver of cooked food makes (the recipient) forget his own parents and others (but not the giver of food). Hence all the people residing in the three worlds praise cooked food.

39. Mothers and fathers are mere causes of birth. Learned men in the world say that the giver of food is the (real) father.

40. All the Tīrthas are present in one who gives cooked food. All the deities are present in one who gives cooked food. O conqueror of the realms of enemies, all virtues are present in the giver of food.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Again an echo of BG X. The comparisons are made to confirm the supreme position (meritorious nature) of Vaiśākha.