रागाद्युपगते चित्ते वञ्चयित्वा परं धनम् । यदर्ज्यते तस्य दानाद्यस्याऽर्थास्तस्य तत्फलम् ॥ ११ ॥
rāgādyupagatē cittē vañcayitvā paraṁ dhanam | yadarjyatē tasya dānādyasyā’rthāstasya tatphalam || 11 ||
- Another reading: रागाद्युपहते (rāgādyupahatē) for रागाद्युपगते
Translation
When, with the mind in the grip of passion and the rest, one cheats another and gains his wealth, then the fruit of giving it goes to the one whose wealth it was.
Word by word
- rāga
- passion
- ādi
- and the rest
- upagatē
- in the grip of
- cittē
- with the mind
- vañcayitvā
- one cheats
- paraṁ
- another
- dhanam
- wealth
- yad
- (yat) what
- arjyatē
- is gained
- tasya
- its; to him
- dānād
- (dānāt) from giving
- yasya
- whose
- arthās
- (arthāḥ) wealth
- tat
- that
- phalam
- fruit
Meaning
A sharp example. Wealth got by deceit and then given away in charity earns merit, but not for the giver: the commentary says the fruit goes to the one whose wealth it is. Giving cannot launder what passion took. The teaching is not against giving; it is that the act takes its worth from the heart and the means behind it.