Shloka 28

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

एवंविधेषु दातव्या न समृद्धेषु भारत । को गुणो भरतश्रेष्ठ समृद्धेष्वभिवर्जितम्‌,भारत! ऐसे ही लोगोंको गोदान करना चाहिये, धनवानोंको नहीं। भरतश्रेष्ठ! धनवानोंको देनेसे क्या लाभ है?

Transliteration

evaṁvidheṣu dātavyā na samṛddheṣu bhārata | ko guṇo bharataśreṣṭha samṛddheṣv abhivarjitam ||

Translation

হে ভাৰত! দান এনেধৰণৰ লোককেই দিব লাগে, সমৃদ্ধ লোকক নহয়। হে ভৰতশ্ৰেষ্ঠ! যিসকল ধনী লোকৰ একো অভাৱ নাই, তেওঁলোকক দিলে কি পুণ্যলাভ হয়?

Word by Word

एवम्thus; in this manner

विधेषुin such kinds (of persons/conditions)

दातव्याshould be given

नnot

समृद्धेषुamong the prosperous/wealthy

भारतO Bharata

कःwhat? which?

गुणःbenefit; merit; advantage

भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

समृद्धेषुamong the prosperous/wealthy

अभिवर्जितम्avoided; excluded; passed over

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Bhārata (addressee, typically Yudhiṣṭhira in this dialogue)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity gains ethical and spiritual value when directed toward those in genuine need; giving to the already wealthy yields little meaningful merit because it does not relieve suffering or deficiency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a Bharata prince (in this section, commonly Yudhiṣṭhira) and instructs him on the proper recipients of gifts, emphasizing discernment in dāna as part of righteous conduct.