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=== Chaturvarga Chintamani ===

=== Chaturvarga Chintamani ===

Among the different things classified as Deyam, a different view of Hemadri quoting Devala is as follows:<blockquote>अन्नं दधि मधु त्राणं गोभूरुक्माश्वहस्तिनः । दानान्युत्तमदानानि उत्तमद्रव्यदानतः ॥</blockquote><blockquote>विद्यादानादनावास-परिभोगौषधानि च । दानानि मध्यमानीह मध्यद्रव्यदानतः ॥</blockquote><blockquote>परिभोग इति परिभोगसाधनं खट्वासनादि । उपानत्प्रेङ्खयानानि छत्रपात्रासनानि च । दीपकाष्ठफलादीनि चरमं बहुवार्षिकम् ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>बहुत्वादर्थजातानां संख्या शेषेषु नेष्यते ।अधमान्यवशिष्टानि सर्व्वदानान्यती विदुः ॥ (Page 16 of Reference<ref name=":2" />).</blockquote>Summary : Food, curds, honey, protection, cow, land, gold, horses and elephants - gifts of these nine are said to be uttama (best). Vidya (gift of education), house for unsheltered, domestic household items of comfort (परिभोग such as cots), medicines - gifts of these four are said to be of medium level. Shoes, swings, carts, umbrellas, vessals, seat to sit, lamps, wood, fruits, whatever is old and worn out, and all other unspecified objects are inferior.<ref name=":1" />

Among the various things classified as Deyam, a different view of Hemadri quoting Devala is as follows:<blockquote>अन्नं दधि मधु त्राणं गोभूरुक्माश्वहस्तिनः । दानान्युत्तमदानानि उत्तमद्रव्यदानतः ॥</blockquote><blockquote>विद्यादानादनावास-परिभोगौषधानि च । दानानि मध्यमानीह मध्यद्रव्यदानतः ॥</blockquote><blockquote>परिभोग इति परिभोगसाधनं खट्वासनादि । उपानत्प्रेङ्खयानानि छत्रपात्रासनानि च । दीपकाष्ठफलादीनि चरमं बहुवार्षिकम् ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>बहुत्वादर्थजातानां संख्या शेषेषु नेष्यते ।अधमान्यवशिष्टानि सर्व्वदानान्यती विदुः ॥ (Page 16 of Reference<ref name=":2" />).</blockquote>Summary : Food, curds, honey, protection, cow, land, gold, horses and elephants - gifts of these nine are said to be uttama (best). Vidya (gift of education), house for unsheltered, domestic household items of comfort (परिभोग such as cots), medicines - gifts of these four are said to be of medium level. Shoes, swings, carts, umbrellas, vessals, seat to sit, lamps, wood, fruits, whatever is old and worn out, and all other unspecified objects are inferior.<ref name=":1" />

== Best of Dana ==

== Best of Dana ==

'''Vidyadana''' : Along with Vashistha dharmasutras, Manusmriti (4.233) and Atrismriti (340), Yajnavalkya smriti (1.212) say that the gift of vidya (vidyadana) is foremost among other gifts such as those of water, food, cows, land, garments, sesame, gold and clarified butter.

'''Vidyadana''' : Along with Vashistha dharmasutras, Manusmriti (4.233) and Atrismriti (340), Yajnavalkya smriti (1.212) say that the gift of vidya (vidyadana) is foremost among other gifts such as those of water, food, cows, land, garments, sesame, gold and clarified butter.

== Dana Forms ==

== Dana Forms ==

Danas of various types are seen associated with individual's religious activities such as yajna, yaga, shraaddha, vratas, and samskaras, during eclipses and sankranti (sun's passage into a zodiac sign), teerthayatras. Dana for community benefit is called as Utsarga, which was mainly taken up by the governance involving kings and emperors. Gifts of certain kinds are called Mahadanas.   

Danas of various types are seen associated with individual's religious activities such as yajna, yaga, shraaddha, vratas, and samskaras, during eclipses and sankranti (sun's passage into a zodiac sign), teerthayatras. Dana for community benefit is called as Utsarga, which was mainly taken up by the governance involving kings and emperors. Gifts of certain kinds are called Mahadanas. A brief list of deya things are mentioned here under different headings.   

=== Mahadanas (महा'''दानानि)''' ===

=== Mahadanas (महा'''दानानि)''' ===

These include the Dashadanas (दशदानानि) which are ten in number and Shodashadanas (षोडशदानानि) which constitute donation of 16 kinds of things. Though there some items of dana are found to be overlapping, the procedures are different. These are described in great detail in Puranas viz.   

These include the Dashadanas (दशदानानि) which are ten in number and Shodashadanas (षोडशदानानि) which constitute donation of 16 kinds of things. We see from the following information that some items of dana are of the same material even though their construction is different (dhenu or parvata). These are described in great detail in Puranas viz.   

Dashadanas  : Agnipurana (209.23-24) describes them in detail - dana of gold, horses, sesame, elephants, maids, chariots, land, houses, a bride, and a dark - brown (kapila) cow constitute the ten dashadanas.  

'''Dashadanas''' : Agnipurana (209.23-24) describes them in detail - dana of gold, horses, sesame, elephants, maids, chariots, land, houses, a bride, and a dark - brown (kapila) cow constitute the ten dashadanas.  

Shodashadanas : Agnipurana (210.1 to 4)<ref name=":3">Agni Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A8%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6 Adhyaya 210])</ref> Matsya Purana (274 to 289) Linga Purana (Uttaratha.28) describe the sixteen mahadanas as :   

'''Shodashadanas''' : Agnipurana (210.1 to 4)<ref name=":3">Agni Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A8%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6 Adhyaya 210])</ref> Matsya Purana (274 to 289) Linga Purana (Uttaratha.28) describe the sixteen mahadanas as :   

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* तुलापुरुषदानम् । Tulapurusha dana

* तुलापुरुषदानम् । Tulapurusha dana

=== Dhenudanas (धेनुदानानि) ===

=== Dhenudanas (धेनुदानानि) ===

In imitation of the gift of the cow, gift of certain articles were made and they are described as dhenus. Matsya Purana (82.17 to 22) speaks of ten such dhenus viz. of guda (jaggery), ghrta (ghee), tila (sesame), jala (water), kshira (milk), madhu (honey), sarkara (sugar), dadhi (curds), rasa (liquids) and godhenu (cow itself). Some add the suvarnadhenu (cow of gold), navanita-dhenu (cow of butter) and ratnadhenu (cow of jewels). Agnipurana (210.11-12)<ref name=":3" /> enumerates the same ten dhenus.   

In imitation of the gift of the cow, gift of certain articles were made and they are described as dhenus. Matsya Purana (82.17 to 22) and Agnipurana (210.11-12)<ref name=":3" /> enumerate the same ten dhenus made of different materials. Matsya Purana cites the following dhenudanas<ref>Matsya Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE%E0%A5%A8 Adhyaya 82])</ref>  

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