What is the significance of the three Da s in The Waste Land NU T S Eliot published The Waste Land in The poem ends with three Sanskrit words from the Upanishads Datta Dayadhvam and Damyata These three Da s carry deep spiritual meaning They suggest ways to heal the broken modern world Eliot uses them as a message of hope in a land of despair Datta Give The first Da means giving Modern people are selfish and materialistic Eliot urges generosity and sacrifice To give is to move beyond greed and despair It reminds readers that true life comes from selfless action Dayadhvam Sympathize The second Da means sympathy or compassion In the poem people are lonely and cut off They avoid eye contact walking with their eyes fixed on the ground Eliot s call is to rebuild human bonds through empathy Compassion can heal the wasteland of broken