Shloka 52

दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च

Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food

Devanagari script

इष्टवा क्रतुशतेनाथ महता दक्षिणावता । मघवा वागििदां श्रेष्ठ पप्रच्छेदं बृहस्पतिम्‌

Transliteration

iṣṭvā kratuśatena atha mahatā dakṣiṇāvatā | maghavā vāgidāṁ śreṣṭhaṁ papracchedam bṛhaspatim ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন—মহান দক্ষিণাসহ শত যজ্ঞ সম্পন্ন করে মঘবান (ইন্দ্র) বাক্‌বিদ্যায় শ্রেষ্ঠ বৃহস্পতিকে এই বিষয়ে প্রশ্ন করলেন।

Word by Word

• इष्ट्वा: having performed (sacrificed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• क्रतुशतेन: with a hundred sacrifices
• क्रतुशतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु-शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• महता: great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दक्षिणावत: endowed with sacrificial fees (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणावत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणावत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मघवा: Maghavān (Indra)
• मघवा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघवन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाग्विदाम्: of the knowers of speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्-विद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बृहस्पतिम्: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Indra (Maghavān)
• Bṛhaspati

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual achievement and power are not presented as self-sufficient; even Indra, after immense sacrificial merit, turns to a true teacher for ethical clarity. The verse highlights humility before wisdom and the primacy of right counsel in dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a frame-story: Indra has completed a hundred richly endowed sacrifices and then approaches Bṛhaspati, the gods’ preceptor, to ask a specific question—setting up Bṛhaspati’s forthcoming instruction.