Devanagari
पात्रं त्वत्र निरुक्तं वै कविभि: पात्रवित्तमै: ।
हरिरेवैक उर्वीश यन्मयं वै चराचरम् ॥ ३४ ॥
Verse text
pātraṁ tv atra niruktaṁ vai
kavibhiḥ pātra-vittamaiḥ
harir evaika urvīśa
yan-mayaṁ vai carācaram
Synonyms
pātram
—
the true person to whom charity must be given
;
tu
—
but
;
atra
—
in the world
;
niruktam
—
decided
;
vai
—
indeed
;
kavibhiḥ
—
by learned scholars
;
pātra
—
vittamaiḥ — who are expert in finding the actual person to whom charity must be given
;
hariḥ
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
eva
—
indeed
;
ekaḥ
—
only one
;
urvī
—
īśa — O King of the earth
;
yat
—
mayam — in whom everything is resting
;
vai
—
from whom everything is coming
;
cara
—
acaram — all that is moving or nonmoving within this universe .
Translation
O King of the earth, it has been decided by expert, learned scholars that only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in whom all that is moving or nonmoving within this universe is resting and from whom everything is coming, is the best person to whom everything must be given.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O King of the earth! It has been decided by learned scholars that only the Supreme Lord, in whom all that is moving or nonmoving within this universe is resting, is the best person to whom everything should be given.
To whom should offerings be given for progressing in dharma? In order to speak about offerings directly to the Supreme Lord, to the Vaiṣṇavas, brāhmaṇas and all living entities, first the recipient of offerings is explained.
Purport
Whenever we perform some religious act in terms of
dharma, artha, kāma
and
mokṣa,
we must perform it according to the time, place and person (
kāla, deśa, pātra
). Nārada Muni has already described the
deśa
(place) and
kāla
(time). The
kāla
has been described in verses twenty through twenty-four, beginning with the words
ayane viṣuve kuryād vyatīpāte dina-kṣaye.
And the places for giving charity or performing ritualistic ceremonies have been described in verses thirty through thirty-three, beginning with
sarāṁsi puṣkarādīni kṣetrāṇy arhāśritāny uta.
Now, to whom everything must be given is decided in this verse.
Harir evaika urvīśa yan-mayaṁ vai carācaram.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the root of everything, and therefore He is the best
pātra,
or person, to whom everything must be given. In
Bhagavad-gītā
(5.29)
it is said:
bhoktāraṁ yajṣa-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jṣātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
If one wants to enjoy real peace and prosperity, he should give everything to Kṛṣṇa, who is the real enjoyer, real friend and real proprietor. It is therefore said:
yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
(
Bhāg.
4.31.14
)
By worshiping or satisfying Acyuta, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, one can satisfy everyone, just as one can water the branches, leaves and flowers of a tree simply by watering its root or as one satisfies all the senses of the body by giving food to the stomach. Therefore, a devotee simply offers everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead to receive the best results of charity, religious performances, sense gratification and even liberation (
dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa
).