अनाथं दुःखितं विप्रं पाठयेद्वै नरोत्तमः । श्रीहरेर्भवनं याति पुनर्जन्मविवर्जितः
The best of men who makes a destitute, suffering Brahmin recite (scripture), goes to the abode of Shri Hari, free from rebirth.
यो नरः पुस्तकं दद्याद्भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः । प्रतिवर्णं लभेत्पुण्यं कपिलाकोटिदानजम्
A man who gives a book with devotion and faith obtains, for each syllable, the merit equal to the gift of ten million cows.
मधुदो गुडदश्चैव मर्त्यो यातीक्षुसागरम् । लवणप्रदो नरो याति वारुणं लोकमेव च
A person who gives honey or jaggery attains the ocean of Yama; one who gives salt attains the realm of Varuna.
सर्वेषामेव दानानामन्नं वारि द्विजोत्तम । तत्त्वज्ञैर्मुनिभिः सर्वैः प्रवरं वै प्रकीर्त्तितम्
Among all gifts, O best of twice-born, food and water are declared by all sages who know the truth to be the highest.
अन्नं वारि द्विजश्रेष्ठ येन दत्तं महीतले । तेन दत्तानि दानानि सर्वाणि च द्विजर्षभ
O foremost of Brahmins, whoever gives food and water on earth, by that act has given all gifts.
अन्नदो यो नरो विप्र प्राणदश्च प्रकीर्त्तितः । तस्मात्समस्तदानानामन्नदो लभते फलम्
O Brahmin, the giver of food is called the giver of life; therefore, among all gifts, the giver of food obtains the fruit.
यथाचान्नं तथा वारि द्वे तुल्ये च प्रकीर्त्तिते । वारिणा च विना चान्नं सिद्धं न स्याद्द्विजोत्तम
Just as food, so water—both are declared equal; without water, O best of Brahmins, food cannot be perfected.
क्षुधा तृषा द्विज व्याघ्र द्वे च तुल्ये प्रकीर्त्तिते । अतश्चान्नं च तोयं च श्रेष्ठं प्रोक्तं बुधैरपि
Hunger and thirst, O Brahmin, are said to be equal; thus, food and water are declared by the wise to be the best.
अन्नदानं क्षितौ ब्रह्मन्ये कुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ता गच्छंति हरिमंदिरम्
The best of men who give food on earth to Brahmins, freed from all sins, go to the abode of Hari.
यावंत्यन्नानि भो विप्र यच्छति क्षितिमंडले । ब्रह्महत्याश्च तावंत्यो नश्यंत्येव तपोधन
O Brahmin, as many meals as one gives on earth, so many Brahmin-murders are destroyed, O ascetic.
यच्छतां चान्नदानानि शरीराणि च पातकम् । गात्राणि गृह्णतां त्यक्त्वा सहसा यांति शौनक
For those who give food, their bodies and sins are left behind; their limbs are abandoned, and they depart swiftly, O Shaunaka.
अतः पापिष्ठ चान्नानि न गृह्णंति मनीषिणः । गृह्णंति मोहाद्ये मूढा भवंति पापभागिनः
Therefore, O wicked one, the wise do not accept food; those who accept it out of delusion become sharers in sin.
कुर्याद्भूमिष्ठमुदकं चैकं भो द्विजसत्तम । सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तो व्रजेत्स हरिमंदिरम्
O best of Brahmins, one who gives even a single vessel of water on earth, freed from all sins, goes to the abode of Hari.
प्रयत्नेन द्विजश्रेष्ठ कर्त्तव्यो धनसंचयः । संचितं च धनं ब्रह्मन्दानकर्मणि विक्षिपेत्
O best of Brahmins, wealth should be accumulated with effort; and the gathered wealth should be spent in the act of giving to Brahmins.
रणंति ये च कार्पण्याद्धनं ते चातिदुःखिनः । अंते सर्वधनं त्यक्वा निःस्वा गच्छंति भो मुने
Those who hoard wealth out of miserliness are extremely unhappy; at the end, abandoning all their wealth, they depart destitute, O sage.
मानवा ये सदा दानं दत्त्वा दत्त्वा दरिद्रति । दरिद्रास्तेन विज्ञेया नरलोके महेश्वराः
Those men who, having given and given, become poor, are to be understood as the great lords among men in this world.
परलोके द्विजव्याघ्र साधुसंयमवर्जिते । निर्दये बंधुहीने च न दत्तं नोपतिष्ठते
O tiger among Brahmins, in the other world, where there is no virtue or restraint, and no compassion or kin, what is not given does not remain.
स्थिते धने नरो यो वै नाश्नाति न ददाति सः । दरिद्र इव विज्ञेयः प्रेत्य निश्वासमुत्सृजेत्
A person who, though possessing wealth, neither eats nor gives, should be regarded as poor; after death, he departs with a sigh.
तपसोऽपि वरं दानं प्रोक्तं च तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । अतो यत्नाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ दानकर्म समाचरेत्
Even more than austerity, giving is declared best by those who see the truth; therefore, O best of Brahmins, one should diligently perform acts of giving.
दाता दानं न दद्याद्वै समुत्सृज्य द्विजातये । स याति निरयं घोरं सर्वजंतुभयावहम्
If a donor, having promised a gift, does not give it to a Brahmin, he goes to a terrible hell, causing fear to all creatures.
दानं दाता प्रतिग्राही न स्मरेच्च न याचते । निरये चोभयोर्वासो यावच्चंद्र दिवाकरौ
The giver and the receiver of a gift should neither recall nor request it; both dwell in hell as long as the moon and sun endure.
ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानि यानि वै द्विजसत्तम । तानि दानेन हन्यंते तस्माद्दानं समाचरेत्
O best of twice-born, sins such as killing a Brahmin and others are destroyed by giving; therefore, one should practice charity.
अथ श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे चुतर्थं ब्रह्मखण्डं प्रारभ्यते श्रीवेदव्यासाय नमः शौनक उवाच- कलौ समागते सूत प्राणिनां केन कर्मणा । उद्धारो वै भवेत्तस्मात्कथयस्व ममाग्रतः
Now, in the glorious Padma Mahapurana, the section called Brahmakhanda concerning the mango tree begins. Salutation to the venerable Vyasa. Shaunaka said: O Suta, when the age of Kali arrives, by what action can living beings be uplifted? Therefore, tell me this before me.
सूत उवाच- साधुसाधु मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुण्यात्मनां वरो भवान् । सर्वेषां च जनानां च शुभवाञ्छो निरंतरम्
Suta said: Excellent, excellent, O best of sages! You are foremost among the virtuous, always wishing well for all people.
एतद्व्यासः पुरा विप्रः सर्वज्ञः सर्वपूजितः । पृष्टो जैमिनिना तं स यदाह शृणु वैष्णव
O Vaishnava, long ago, the all-knowing and universally revered Vyasa was asked this by Jaimini; listen to what he said.
दंडवत्प्रणिपत्यासौ व्यासं सर्वार्थपारगम् । गुरुं सत्यवतीसूनुं पप्रच्छ मुनिपुंगवः
Having bowed down in full prostration to Vyasa, master of all meanings, the eminent sage, son of Satyavati, was questioned by the foremost among sages.
जैमिनिरुवाच- कलौ नृणां भवेत्केन मोक्षो वै कथयस्व मे । अल्पेनापि च पुण्येन मर्त्याश्चाल्पायुषो यतः
Jaimini said: By what means can people attain liberation in the Kali age? Tell me, for mortals are short-lived and have little opportunity for merit.
व्यास उवाच- साधुसंगाद्भवेद्विप्र शास्त्राणां श्रवणं प्रभो । हरिभक्तिर्भवेत्तस्मात्ततो ज्ञानं ततो गतिः
Vyasa said: O Brahmin, from association with the good comes hearing of the scriptures, from that arises devotion to Hari, from that knowledge, and from knowledge, liberation.
न रोचते कथा भूमौ पापिष्ठाय जनाय वै । वैष्णवी स तु विज्ञेयः पापिष्ठप्रवरो द्विजः
The narration of divine stories does not appeal to the most sinful person on earth; know that such a one, though a Brahmin, is foremost among sinners.
श्रीकृष्णस्य कथां श्रुत्वाऽऽनंदी भवति वैष्णवः । असत्यां तां तु यो ब्रूयाज्ज्ञेयः स पापिनां गुरुः
A Vaishnava becomes joyful upon hearing the stories of Shri Krishna; but one who speaks them falsely should be known as the chief among sinners.