About Donation

Naarad Jee said - "Brother, Now you tell me about Donation and the characteristics of the appropriate person to whom the donation should be made." Sanak Jee said - "Braahman is the highest Guru of all Varn, so if somebody wishes to make his Donation immortal, he should donate to Braahman only. A Braahman having a good conduct can take donation from anybody, but Kshatriya and Vaishya should never take donation from anybody. Whosoever Braahman is of angry nature, has no son, proud, has abandoned his duties, is attached to another woman, greedy of other's money, is astrologer, sees fault in others, is unfaithful, is busy in asking things from others, is violent, is evil, sells Ved, Dharm and Smriti, subsists on singing, or fighting, donation given to such Braahman goes waste. Who cooks for others, or appraise others by poetry, or eats uneatable food, or eats Shoodra's food, or burns the dead bodies of Shoodra, or has abandoned Sandhyaa Karm, or sleeps in daytime, or eats food in Sandhyaa time, or is evil, or is greedy, thief, or is born through outside wedlock - these Braahman are also not worth giving donations.

Whatever donations is given to an appropriate person, on his demand is the best. Whatever donation is given to an appropriate person with the intention of getting its benefit in this Lok or another Lok, that is called Sa-Kaam donation and is supposed to be of medium type. Whatever donation is given with pride, to kill others, angrily, without any Sharddhaa, to an inappropriate person, is called the mean type of donation. Donation given to satisfy a sacrifice is mean, to fulfill one's own motive is medium, and to please Bhagavaan is the best.

Wealth has three types of Gati (use) - donation, enjoyment, and destruction. Who neither donates it nor enjoys it, his wealth becomes the cause of his destruction. Fruit of wealth is Dharm, and Dharm is the same which pleases Vishnu. Who do not do good to others by body, mind or speech, or wealth, they should be considered great sinners. I tell you an old story in this regard.

Yam Raaj Bhageerath Dialog

There was a king named Bhageerath (he brought Gangaa on earth) in Sagar's Vansh. He was as patient as Himaalaya and as much religious as Dharm Raaj. Knowing his all qualities, one day, Dharm Raaj came to his Darshan. The king worshipped him methodically. Dharm Raj got very happy to see him and said to him - "Hey Bhageerath, You are famous in three Lok, and I, being even Dharm Raaj, have come for your Darshan. Your character is very beautiful, that is difficult even for me." Hearing this Bhageerath said - "Bhagavan, You know everything, please tell me what I ask you. How many types of Dharm are? Which Lok are for religious people? How many types of punishments are in Yam Lok, and who gets them? Which type of people are punished by you and how are they punished by you?"

Yam Raaj said - "Dharm are said to be of many types, and the punishments for A-Dharm generated Karm are also many which are very horrible to see even. To provide living expenses to Braahman is regarded very high degree of Punya. In the same way to donate a man who is the knower of Adhyaatm Tattwa, is also immortal. Who can describe the goodness of help to a Brahman? Who does good to a Braahman daily, he has done all kinds of Yagya, he has done all kinds of Teerth, and he has completed all Tapasyaa. Who even inspires others to give donation to a Braahman for his living, he also gets the fruit of that donation.

Who either himself builds ponds or asks somebody to build it, it is impossible to count the number of his Punya. If even one traveler drinks water from that pond, then all sins of its builder are destroyed. I tell you one story in this reference. There lived a king named Veerbhadra in Gaud Desh. He was very learned and worshipped Braahman. His wife's name was Champakmanjaree. His ministers were very good in decision making. "Who takes decisions about Praayashchit, treatment of diseases, astrology and Dharm without taking consideration of Shaastra, he is called Braahman killer." Thinking like thus he always used to listen to Manu's prescribed Dharm.

One day, Veerbhadra went for hunting trip along with his ministers etc and wandered there till afternoon. They were all tired. At the same time they saw a small pond but it was dry. Seeing it the minister thought, "Who has built this pond? Where are we going to get water so that the king can quench his thirst?" So the minister thought to dig out that pond. He dug it about half a yard deep and he got water in it. Both the king and his minister Buddhisaagar quenched their thirst with that water.

The minister said to king - "Previously this pond was filled with rain water, now, please permit me to build a dam around it." Veerbhadra got very happy to hear this and he permitted him to do this. In a few days time that small pond became very large and lots of water got collected in it. Since then people and animals started drinking water from it. After some time the minister died and came to me. I asked Chitragupt about him, he told me about his work of building the pond, so I ordered him to ride on Dharm Vimaan. Later Veerbhadra also came to me. Chitragupt told me the same thing about him also. Then listen what I said to the king -

"Hey Raajan, In olden times, a bird had dug two finger land with its beak to drink water on Saikat Giri (mountain). Then later, a boar dug the same a half yard deep ditch. Since then it was filled with water. After a while some other bird dug it and made it one yard deep, since then water stayed in it for two months. Little animals used to drink water from it. After three years an elephant made it one and half yard deep and water stayed up in it to three months. After that it dried, then you came and got water from it after digging it only half yard. On the advice of your minister you made it larger( 50 Dhanush long and wide and deep = 1 Dhanush is 60 feet). Then it collected lots of water and after strengthening it with stones it became a great pond. You planted trees around it. Because of the Punya of that pond, five souls have already ridden on Dharm Vimaan, now you, the sixth, also ride on that Vimaan." Hearing this king Veerbhadra also sat on Dharm Vimaan. Thus I described the Punya of digging a pond. Who reads or hears this with Shraddhaa, he also gets the same Punya."

Dharm Raaj further said - "One gets only half the Punya if he digs only a ditch, but if he strengthens it with cement etc he gets more. Digging a well gives only a quarter. If one builds a big pond, it gives you more Punya. Building a canal gives you 100 times more Punya than building a big pond. If a rich person donates a city, and a poor person gives only a yard land, both carries the same Punya. Who builds an inn or an Aashram to do good for many people, he goes to Brahm Lok along with his three generations. Who takes rest in that inn even for a short while, he sends his builder to Swarg Lok. Who plant gardens, build temples, dig ponds, and inhabit villages, they are worshipped along with Vishnu.

Who waters a Tulasee plant even a handful water, he lives with Vishnu till these Moon and stars are there and after that he is absorbed in Vishnu. Who gives Tulasee leaves to Braahman, he goes to Brahm Lok along with his three generations. Who worships Vishnu with Tulasee leaves he goes to Vishnu Lok. Who gives bath to Vishnu with the water sieved in cloth, he goes to Vishnu Lok. Who gives bath to Vishnu with milk on Sankraanti day, he lives with Vishnu up to 21 generations. Who gives bath to Vishnu with Panchaamrit on 5th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 14th, Poornimaa, Sunday of Shukla Paksh; and on Lunar eclipse, Solar eclipse, Yug starting day, Manvantar starting day and other holy days, he gets free from all kinds of sins and gets fruit of all kinds of Yagya and lives in Vaikunth Dhaam along with his 21 generations.

Who bathes Shankar Jee with milk on 14th and Mondays of Krishn Paksh; or bathes him with coconut water on 8th or Monday, he gets nearness of Shiv Jee. Who bathes him on 8th or 14th of Shukla Paksh with Ghee and honey, he becomes like him. If somebody bathes Shiv or Vishnu with sesame oil, he becomes like them along with his seven generations. Who bathes Shiv Jee with sugarcane juice he lives in Shiv Lok for one Kalp along with his seven generations.

A man gets free from his sins of 10,000 lives by worshipping Vishnu with fragrant flowers on Ekaadashee day. Who worships Vishnu with Champaa flower and Shiv with Aak flowers, he lives with them respectively. Who offers sesame oil lamp to Vishnu or Shiv, he gets his all desires fulfilled.

If a man donates all required things to a Braahman, he gets free from the bondage of birth and death cycle. Who offers lamp of sesame oil to Vishnu and Shankar, his all desires are fulfilled.  Who offers them Ghee lamp, he gets free from all sins. There is no other donation like grains and water and never will be. Who donates food, he is considered life giver, and who gives life he gives everything. That is why who donates food he gets fruit of all kinds of Daan. Since water satisfies a person instantly, it is considered better than grains. Who is the greatest sinner, even if he donates water, his all sins are destroyed.

Who helps a poor or a sick person, Vishnu fulfills his all desires. Who makes a fearful person fearless he gets the fruit of all Yagya. Who donates clothes and who donates girl (Kanyaa Daan), he goes to Rudra Lok and Vishnu Lok respectively.

Who donates Taambool (betel leaf) according to his capacity, Vishnu give him long life, fame, and wealth. Who donates milk, yogurt, Ghee, honey, he lives in Swarg Lok for 10,000 Divine years. Who donates fragrance or holy fruits he goes to Brahm Dhaam. Who donates Vidyaa (education), he lives with Vishnu. Vidyaa Daan, Bhoomi Daan (donation of land), and Gau Daan (donation of cow) are three highest Daan which uplift one from Narak (Hell) because of Jap, providing with convenience of tilling and sowing the seed, and milking. Among all donations Vidyaa Daan is the best, it gives the nearness of Vishnu. Firewood donation frees a man from small upheavals. Shaal Graam stone Daan is also considered great. It gives you Moksh. Shiv Ling Daan has also the same effects. Who donates salt goes to Varun Lok.

Who worships "left alone Shiv Ling" (the Ling which is not worshipped daily) with leaves, flowers, fruits, and water, he goes to Shiv riding on Vimaan. Who worships Shiv Ling situated in a lonely place, he gets freed from birth-death cycle and lives with Shiv. Who worships Vishnu's idol (which has not been worshipped) even with water, he gets Saameepya (nearness) of Vishnu. Who waters a piece of land equal to cow's hide size in a temple, he goes to Swarg Lok. Who arranges continuous burning lamp near Shiv or Vishnu, he gets the fruit of Ashwamedh Yagya for every second. Who circumambulates Devee's temple one time, Soorya's temple seven times, Ganesh's temple three times, and Vishnu's Temple four times, he goes to respective Devtaa's Lok and enjoys for hundreds of thousands of Yug. Who salutes Shiv Ling in Kaashee after worshipping him, he has no other duty to do and never comes back on Earth. Who circumambulates Shiv right and left, he never comes down from Swarg Lok. Who play instruments in temples they also get very good fruit.

Whatever is done for Vishnu is immortal. Vishnu is Dharm, Vishnu is the fruit of Dharm. Thus Karm, fruit of Karm and their consumer all are Vishnu. There is nothing separate from Vishnu.