Dharmvarma

 The story of King Dharmvarma is narrated in the Skand Purana. The King was curious about the essential elements of dana. He therefore performed penance for a long time. At the end, he was rewarded with a puzzling shloka:

स तु दानस्य तत्त्वार्थी तेपे वर्षगणान्बहून्॥ ४.१६ ॥ sa tu dānasya tattvārthī tēpē varṣagaṇānbahūn॥ 4.16 ॥

ततस्तं प्राह खे वाणी श्लोकमेकं नृप श्रृणु॥ द्विहेतु षडधिष्ठानं षडंगं च द्विपाकयुक्॥ ४.१७ ॥ चतुःप्रकारं त्रिविधं त्रिनाशं दानमुच्यते॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.16 - 17) ^[8]

tatastaṁ prāha khē vāṇī ślōkamēkaṁ nr̥pa śrr̥ṇu॥ dvihētu ṣaḍadhiṣṭhānaṁ ṣaḍaṁgaṁ ca dvipākayuk॥ 4.17 ॥ catuḥprakāraṁ trividhaṁ trināśaṁ dānamucyatē॥

Meaning : ‘Dana has two hetu, six adhishthan, six ang, two paak, four prakar, three vidh and three ways of naash.

द्विहेतु ॥ Two Enhancers

The two hetus (drivers, push factors) of dana, which help increase or decrease it, are shraddha (श्रद्धा) and shakti (शक्ति).

श्रद्धा शक्तिश्च दानानां वृद्ध्यक्षयकरेहि ते॥ ४.४१ ॥ śraddhā śaktiśca dānānāṁ vr̥ddhyakṣayakarēhi tē॥ 4.41 ॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.41)^[8]

1. If you give away your entire property without shraddha, you will not get any benefit. However, if you give even a little of your justly earned money, you will be able to please Shri Shiv, provided you give with shraddha.

2. The second hetu is shakti (capacity). You should only give out of what is left after meeting needs of the family. If money is given to a rich and capable person, while the family is living in penury, then all benefit is lost. This causes dharma to transform into adharma. Similarly, if someone performs shradha for a dead person, while the living dependents suffer, then this will result in misery for the donor in this life and thereafter.

षडधिष्ठानानि ॥ Six Motives

The six adhisthanas (base, pedestal, foundation) of dana are dharma, artha, kama, lajja, harsha and bhaya.

धर्ममर्थं च कामं च व्रीडाहर्षभयानि च॥ अधिष्ठानानि दानानां षडेतानि प्रचक्षते॥ ४.५५ ॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.55) ^[8]

dharmamarthaṁ ca kāmaṁ ca vrīḍāharṣabhayāni ca॥ adhiṣṭhānāni dānānāṁ ṣaḍētāni pracakṣatē॥ 4.55 ॥

1. When dana is made to a suitable person, without any objective, and only out of a sense of duty, it is known as dharma dana (धर्मदानम्).

2. When dana is made with an objective in mind, it is known as artha dana (अर्थदानम्).

3. When dana is given during drinking, gambling, womanizing, hunting etc., it is known as kaama dana (कामदानम्).

4. When dana is given out of embarrassment on being accosted by seekers in public, it is known as lajja dana (लज्जादानम्).

5. When dana is made out of joy on hearing good news or on successful completion of a desired project, it is known as harsha dana (हर्षदानम्).

6. When dana is given out of fear to avoid infamy, damage, violence, etc., it is known as bhaya dana (भयदानम्).

षडङ्गानि ॥ Six Components

Donors should be Dharmatmas or the virtuous by nature and their inherent nature is to give willingly and happily. They should be devoid of vyasanas (bad habits), be the symbols of purity, and anindaneeya (blemishless) in character. A donor who is ill-mannered, evil-minded, having many vyasanas, disrespectful towards the acceptor, and one who donates with some evil intentions or for fulfilling his means is an Adhama.

दाता प्रतिग्रहीता च शुद्धिर्देयं च धर्मयुक्॥ ४.६२ ॥ देशकालौ च दानानामंगान्येतानि षड्विदुः॥ ४.६३ ॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.62 and 63) ^[8]

dātā pratigrahītā ca śuddhirdēyaṁ ca dharmayuk॥ 4.62 ॥ dēśakālau ca dānānāmaṁgānyētāni ṣaḍviduḥ॥ 4.63 ॥

According to Hemadri, these six angas (constituent elements) of dana have been cited by Devala also.^[2]The six components of dana are donor (दाता), Acceptor (प्रतिग्रहीता), purification (शुद्धिः), legitimate/appropriate object for donating (धर्मयुक्), place (देशः), and time (कालः).

1. Donor should be healthy, virtuous, desirous of giving, devoid of any addiction, holy, and earning a legitimate living.

2. Accepter should have good lineage, learning, character, kindness and control of senses. He should make his living in approved ways.

3. Dana is purified if the donor welcomes the seekers, has genuine affection for them, honours them, and does not find fault in them.

4. Only that money which has been earned with ones’s own effort (but without excessive hardship), and has not been obtained by harassing others is eligible for dana. It does not matter whether such money is less or more.

5. That which is difficult to obtain in a place (e.g. water in a desert), is the right item for donating in that place.

6. That which is difficult to obtain at a particular time (e.g. food during famine, or lamp-light at night), is the right item for donating at that time.

According to the shastras, brahmana dharma entails that it is the dharma of a person of Brahmana varna to be a Dana pratigrhita (दानप्रतिग्रहीता)

यजनं याजनं चैव तथा दानप्रतिग्रहौ। अध्यापनं चाध्ययनं षट्कर्मा धर्मभाग्द्विजः॥ 13-141-67 (Maha. Anush. 13.141.67)

Mahabharata in the context of describing the six dharmas of a brahmana (dvija) clarifies that - performing yajnas (यजनं), directing others in performing yajnas (याजनं), accepting danas (दानप्रतिग्रहीता), teaching vedas (अध्यापनं), self study (अध्ययनं) of vedas are the six karmas and dharmas of brahmana dvijas.

Kshatriya dharma included five duties - study of vedas, performing yajnas, giving dana (a donor), protecting citizens and punishing the guilty. Vaishya dharma included - study of vedas, performing yajnas, giving danas (a donor), protecting cows and engaging in agriculture, trade. Shudra dharmas included working in agriculture and services like carpentry, sculpture, dance, etc. One may note that brahmana varna are traditionally acceptors while kshatriya and vaishya varnas are the donors to both brahmanas and shudras.

द्विपाकौ ॥Two Results

सद्भ्यो यद्दीयते किंचित्तत्परत्रोपतिष्ठति॥ असत्सु दीयते किंचित्तद्दानमिह भुज्यते॥ ४.७१ ॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.71) ^[8]

sadbhyō yaddīyatē kiṁcittatparatrōpatiṣṭhati॥ asatsu dīyatē kiṁcittaddānamiha bhujyatē॥ 4.71 ॥

Dana has two kinds of rewards: those which are enjoyed in heaven, and others which are enjoyed in this world itself. Rewards of dana made to a true or noble person are enjoyed in heaven. Rewards of dana made to others are enjoyed on Earth itself.

चतुःप्रकारम् ॥ Four Kinds of Dana

ध्रुवमाहुस्त्रिकं काम्यं नैमित्तिकमिति क्रमात्॥ ४.७२ ॥ वैदिको दानमार्गोऽयं चतुर्धा वर्ण्यते द्विजैः॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.72)^[8]

dhruvamāhustrikaṁ kāmyaṁ naimittikamiti kramāt॥ 4.72 ॥ vaidikō dānamārgō'yaṁ caturdhā varṇyatē dvijaiḥ॥

1. Works of public welfare, such as digging of wells and ponds, planting orchards and gardens, etc. are known as dhruva (ध्रुवम्) or eternal.

2. Whatever is given on a daily basis is known as nitya (नित्य) or trika (त्रिकम्), example Vidyadana.

3. That which is given with a desire for offspring, victory, splendour, woman, power, or for fulfilling one’s wishes, is known as kamya (काम्य).

4. Naimittika (नैमित्तिकम् motivated) dana is of three types:

1. Kaalapeksha (कालापेक्ष) - that which is motivated by auspicious times or other planetary conjunctions. Ex: Grahana (eclipses), Sankranti times (monthly transition of sun in a rashi) auspicious times such as weddings and some festivals.
2. Kriyapeksha (क्रियापेक्ष) - that which is motivated by an occasion or activity such as shraddh (श्राद्ध), vratas (vows) etc.
3. Gunapeksha (गुणापेक्ष) - that which is motivated by the recipient's character, knowledge, learning or other virtues, example vidyadana.

त्रिविधद्रव्यदानम् ॥Three Ways based on Dana Items

त्रैविध्यमभिधीयते॥ ४.७६ ॥ traividhyamabhidhīyatē॥ 4.76 ॥

अष्टोत्तमानि चत्वारि मध्यमानि विधानतः॥ कानीयसानि शेषाणि त्रिविधत्वमिदं विदुः॥ ४.७७ ॥

aṣṭōttamāni catvāri madhyamāni vidhānataḥ॥ kānīyasāni śēṣāṇi trividhatvamidaṁ viduḥ॥ 4.77 ॥

गृहप्रासादविद्याभूगोकूपप्राणहाटकम्॥ एतान्युत्तमदानानि उत्तमद्रव्यदानतः॥ ४.७८ ॥

gr̥haprāsādavidyābhūgōkūpaprāṇahāṭakam॥ ētānyuttamadānāni uttamadravyadānataḥ॥ 4.78 ॥

अन्नारामं च वासांसि हयप्रभृतिवाहनम्॥ दानानि मध्यमानीति मध्यमद्रव्यदानतः॥ ४.७९ ॥

annārāmaṁ ca vāsāṁsi hayaprabhr̥tivāhanam॥ dānāni madhyamānīti madhyamadravyadānataḥ॥ 4.79 ॥

उपानच्छत्रपात्रादिदधिमध्वासनानि च॥ ४.८० ॥ upānacchatrapātrādidadhimadhvāsanāni ca॥ 4.80 ॥

दीपकाष्ठोपलादीनि चरमं बहुवार्षिकम्॥ इति कानीयसान्याहुर्दाननाशत्रयं श्रृणु॥ ४.८१ ॥

dīpakāṣṭhōpalādīni caramaṁ bahuvārṣikam॥ iti kānīyasānyāhurdānanāśatrayaṁ śrr̥ṇu॥ 4.81 ॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.76 - 81) ^[8]

The following table summarizes the kinds of items for donation and their level of importance in giving

Best उत्तमद्रव्यदानम्	Medium मध्यमद्रव्यदानम्	Least कानीयद्रव्यदानम्
House Temple Knowledge Land Cow Wells Saving life Gold	Grain Garden Clothes Horse etc	Shoes Umbrella Utensils Curd Honey Seating (asana) Lamps Wood Stone

दाननाशास्त्रयम् ॥ Three Dana Nashakas

यद्दत्त्वा तप्यते पश्चादासुरं तद्धृथा मतम्॥ अश्रद्धया यद्ददाति राक्षसं स्याद्वृथैव तत्॥ ४.८२ ॥

yaddattvā tapyatē paścādāsuraṁ taddhr̥thā matam॥ aśraddhayā yaddadāti rākṣasaṁ syādvr̥thaiva tat॥ 4.82 ॥

यच्चाक्रुश्य ददात्यंग दत्त्वा वाक्रोशति द्विजम्॥ पैशाचं तद्वृथा दानंदाननाशास्त्रयस्त्वमी॥ ४.८३ ॥ (Skan. Pura. Mahe. Khan. 4.82 - 83) ^[8]

yaccākruśya dadātyaṁga dattvā vākrōśati dvijam॥ paiśācaṁ tadvr̥thā dānaṁdānanāśāstrayastvamī॥ 4.83 ॥

Dana is nullified by three factors: regret, unsuitability of recipient, and ashraddha (अश्रद्धा).

• Further, if the donor regrets making the dana, then it is known as Asura dana (असुरदानम्).
• If the dana is given without shraddha, it is known as Rakshasa dana (राक्षसदानम्).
• When the receiver is scolded or told unpleasant things or is cursed afterwards, then the dana is known as Pishacha dana (पैशाचकदानम्).

Hearing this crystal clear explanation of the cryptic shloka, the King was overjoyed. Devarshi Narada then left the money in the King's care and proceeded on his business.

Source

https://6tri.blogspot.com/search/label/SkandaPurana