The glory of the donations & Penance – Shiva Purana

The glory of the donations & Penance – Shiva Purana
In the chapter 11 & 12 in Section 5 of Uma-saṃhita of Shiva Purana, the glory of donations and penance is narrated the greatness of Shiva.
Glory of Donations -
Auspicious or inauspicious, one has to reap the fruit of actions committed by him.
Following are gains of gifts made –

1. Gifts of sandals of leather or wood to leading brahmins goes happily to the abode of Yama on a great horse.
2. Who gifts umbrella, they go holding an umbrella.
3. By making gifts of palanquin, he goes by means of a chariot.
4. By making gifts of beds and seats he goes with ample rest.
5. Those who make shady parks or those who plant trees on the wayside go without weariness even in the hottest region.
6. Men making flower gardens go by the aerial chariot Puṣpaka. Makers of temples feel at home on the way.
7. The founders of hermitages of ascetics and Rest houses for the orphans feel as if they play in the house.
8. Worshippers of the gods, fire-god brahmins and their parents go along that path as they please.
9. Those who gift lamps, go brightly illuminating all the ten quarters.
10. By giving dwellings and asylums they go without ailments on the way.
11. Those who habitually serve their preceptors go without difficulty. They get ample rest on the way.
12. Those who gift musical instruments to brahmins go happily feeling at home on the way.
13. Givers of cows go along the path flourishing with all their desires. They get those food-stuffs and drinks which they give away here.
14. By giving water for washing the feet one goes along the path full of water.
15. He who gifts oils for massaging the feet goes on horseback along that way.
16. Yama never comes near the man who always makes gifts of water for washing the feet, oil for massaging, lamps, foodstuffs and dwellings.
17. By making gifts of gold and gems he crosses all impassable hurdles.
18. By gifting silver and oxen, he goes to Yamaloka happily.
19. By these and similar charitable gifts people go happily to Yama’s abode. They attain different pleasures in the heaven.
20. Of all charitable gifts the gift of food is the greatest. It enhances strength and intellect.
21. If a man performs holy and sacred rites after being nourished with the food gifted by someone, the merit of the sacred rites is shared half and half by the two—namely by the giver of food and the performer of the rites.
22. A well that abounds in water removes half of the sin of the man who causes it to be dug. If cows drink and good men and brahmins make use of the water in a water-base dug by a man, the whole family is redeemed. Or the digging of lakes is conducive to the advent of fame and attainment of friendship in the abode of the sun but without distressing heat. He who digs a lake attains an endless merit. It is the fruit of virtue, wealth and love.
23. If a man plants trees in the forests, he enables his ancestors and the successors of his family, to gain redemption. Hence one should plant trees.

This body is the greatest of the means of achievement of virtue, wealth, love and salvation. Hence one should preserve one’s body with food and drink.
Even by putting one’s family to inconvenience and trouble one should give food to a mendicant brahmin of noble soul, if one wishes for one’s prosperity. He who gives food to a suppliant brahmin in distress actually makes an excellent deposit facilitating his benefit in the other world.
A giver of food, of good conduct and free from malice, is honoured. A gift of food never goes in-vain be it to a dog or a person who cooks dogs. He who gives food to a weary, unknown traveller, without feeling distressed for the same will derive prosperity.
The meritorious benefit of the man, who delights Pitṛs, gods, brahmins and guests with food-stuffs, in really immense. Gift of food and drink whether to a Shudra or to a brahmin is equally excellent. The eight gifts are honoured most in the land of the dead viz food, drink, horse, cow, garments, bed and umbrella.
Glory of Penance -
The benefit of the sacred rite Agnihotra is derived by a man in the lake dug by whom there is plenty of water in the rainy season.
Truth alone is the great Brahman, the greatest penance (tapas), the greatest sacrifice and the greatest learning. Penance, sacrifice, merit, the worship of the gods, sages and the Pitṛs, the waters, theVidyas—all these things are established in truth. Truth is sacrifice, penance, charitable gift, mantras, goddess Sarasvati, celibacy and Oṃkāra. These are really truth. By upholding truth, the people can attain the benefits of keeping up the traditions of all the Vedas and taking the ceremonial ablutions in all holy centres.
When weighed against truth in a balance, a thousand horse-sacrifices and a hundred thousand other sacrifices do not equal it. Truth alone excels. Truth is the greatest virtue. By maintaining truthful virtue that the sages have attained Siddhis and reached heaven.
Men who never utter a lie whether for their own sake, or for other’s sake, or even for their own son’s sake, do go to heaven. The Veda’s, the sacrifices and the Mantras exist in brahmins for ever. They are never visible to the untruthful. Hence one shall always speak truth.
Penance is the greatest rite. Fruits are achieved by penance. Those who are engaged in penance incessantly rejoice along with the gods. Heaven, fame and love are achieved through penance. Penance is the means of achievement for all objects. One achieves great things through penance, one attains salvation, knowledge, perfect wisdom, good fortune and beauty by penance. Those who have never performed penance (tapas) do not attain Brahmaloka; lord Shiva is not accessible to those who have never performed penance.
The wine-addict, the defiler of other women, the brahmin-slayer, the defiler of teacher’s bed overcome all sins through penance and get rid of them. Kingdoms are achieved through penance.
Due to penance (tapas), the lords Sun and the Moon are engaged in the welfare of the worlds. The stars and the planets too shine by virtue of their penance. There is no happiness in the world that can be gained without penance. The knowers of the Vedas understand that all happiness is attained through penance alone. Knowledge, perfect wisdom, health, beauty, good fortune and perpetual happiness are the offshoots of penance.