दत्त्वा तत्तत्पदं याति चत्वारिशत्कुलान्वितः
By giving, he reaches that supreme state, accompanied by forty generations.
स याति विष्णुभवनं पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम्
He goes to the abode of Vishnu, where return is difficult.
अन्नतोयसमन्दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति
There has never been, nor will there be, a gift equal to food and water.
सर्वदानफलं यस्मादन्नदस्य नृपोत्तम
Because, O best of kings, the fruit of all gifts is found in the giver of food.
न तस्य पुनरावृत्तिरिति शास्त्रेषु निश्चितम्
There is no return for him—this is established in the scriptures.
अन्नदानान्नृपश्रेष्ठ निर्दिष्टं श्रह्मवादिभिः
O best of kings, the giving of food is declared by the teachers of the Veda.
जलदो मुच्यते तेभ्य इत्याह कमलोद्भवः
He who gives water is freed from them—so says the lotus-born one.
तस्मादन्नप्रदो ज्ञेयः प्राणदः पृथिवीपते
Therefore, O lord of the earth, the giver of food should be known as the giver of life.
तस्मादन्नसमं दानं नास्ति भूपाल भूपले
Therefore, O king of kings, there is no gift equal to food.
नपकं ते न पशअयन्ति तस्मादन्नप्रदो वरः
The messengers of Yama do not see him; therefore, the giver of food is supreme.
स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु गङ्गास्नानपुरःसरम्
He, having bathed in all the sacred waters, with the foremost being the bath in the Ganges,
स स्त्रातो ऽष्टशतं साग्रं गङ्गायां नात्र संशयः
He is purified for over eight hundred lifetimes in the Ganges; there is no doubt about this.
स कोटिकुलसंयुक्तो वसेद्वूह्यपुरे युगम्
He, joined with a multitude of families, dwells in the city of Vūhya for an age.
तस्य विष्णुः प्रसन्नात्मा सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छति
For him, Viṣṇu, with a gracious heart, grants all desires.
सर्वान्कामानवान्पोति सर्वेपापविवार्जितः
He attains all desires, and is entirely free from all sins.
तस्य प्रसन्नो देवेशः स्वलोकं संप्रयच्छति
For him, the lord of the gods, pleased, bestows his own realm.
स यातिब्रह्मसदनमन्येषामतिदुर्लभम्
He attains the abode of Brahma, exceedingly rare among others.
तस्य पुण्यफलं वक्तुं नाहं शक्तो ऽस्मि पण्डित
O learned one, I am not able to speak of the merit-fruit of his actions.
स एव रुद्रो भूपाल सर्वपापविवर्जितः
He himself becomes Rudra, O king, entirely free from all sins.
यस्तस्य पुण्यं संख्यातु न शक्तो ऽब्दशतैरपि
Even in hundreds of years, no one is able to enumerate his merit.
एकतः क्रतवः सर्वे समग्रवरदक्षिणाः
On one side are all sacrifices, complete with every best gift.
संरक्षति महीपाल यो विप्रं भयविह्वलम्
He who protects a Brahmin afflicted by fear, O king,
वस्त्रदो रुद्रभवनं कन्यादो ब्रह्मणः पदम्
The giver of cloth attains the abode of Rudra; the giver of a maiden attains the realm of Brahma.
यस्तु कन्यामलङ्कृत्य ददात्यध्यात्मवेदिने
He who, having adorned a maiden, gives her to one versed in spiritual knowledge,
कार्तिक्यां पौर्णमास्यां वा आषाढ्यां वापि भूपते
On the full moon of Kārtika or of Āṣāḍha, O king,
सत्पजन्मार्जितैः पापैर्विमुक्तो रुद्ररुपभाक्
Freed from sins acquired in noble births, he attains the form of Rudra.
शिवलिङ्गाङ्कितं कृत्वा महिषं यः समुत्सृजेत्
He who, marking a buffalo with the sign of the Śiva-liṅga, releases it,
ताम्बूलदानं यः कुर्याच्छक्तितो नृपसत्तम
He who gives betel according to his ability, O best of kings,
प्रयाति ब्रह्मसदनमिक्षुदाता नृपोत्तम
O best of kings, one who gives sugarcane goes to the abode of Brahma.
गुडेक्षुरसदश्चैव प्रयाति क्षीरसागरम्
And one who gives jaggery or sugarcane juice attains the ocean of milk.