Text 34] Ideal Family Life 181

patram tv atra niruktam vai
kavibhih patra-vittamaih

harir evaika urvisa
yan-mayam vai cardcaram

patram—the true person to whom charity must be given; tu—but;
atra—in the world; niruktam—decided; vai—indeed; kavibhih—by
learned scholars; patra-vittamaih—who are expert in finding the actual
person to whom charity must be given; harih—the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; eva—indeed; ekah—only one; urvi-isa—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, Krsna, in
whom all that is moving or nonmoving within this universe is rest-
ing and from whom everything is coming, is the best person to
whom everything must be given.

PURPORT

Whenever we perform some religious act in terms of dharma, artha,
kama and moksa, we must perform it according to the time, place and
person (kala, desa, patra). Narada Muni has already described the desa
(place) and kala (time). The kala has been described in verses twenty
through twenty-four, beginning with the words ayane visuve kurydd
vyatipate dina-ksaye. And the places for giving charity or performing
ritualistic ceremonies have been described in verses thirty through
thirty-three, beginning with sardmsi puskarddini ksetrany arhasritany
uta. Now, to whom everything must be given is decided in this verse.
Harir evaika urvisa yan-mayam vai cardcaram. The Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, Krsna, is the root of everything, and therefore He is
the best pdtra, or person, to whom everything must be given. In

Bhagavad-gita (5.29) it is said:

bhoktaram yajiia-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
