Mahabharata 3.201.36 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

यथाशक्ति च यो दद्यादन्नं विप्रेषु संस्कृतम्‌

Transliteration

yathāśakti ca yo dadyād annaṃ vipreṣu saṃskṛtam

Translation

যে ব্যক্তি নিজের সামর্থ্য অনুযায়ী ব্রাহ্মণদের যথাবিধি প্রস্তুত করা অন্ন দান করে, সে ধর্মসম্মত দাননীতিকে ধারণ করে এবং পবিত্র অতিথিদের যথোচিত সম্মান জানায়।

Word by Word

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• शक्ति: ability, capacity
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दद्यात्: should give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विप्रेषु: to/among Brahmins
• विप्रेषु: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• संस्कृतम्: prepared, well-cooked, refined
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्कृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• vipra (Brahmins)
• anna (food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Give in proportion to your capacity (yathāśakti) and offer food respectfully and properly prepared; ethical giving is measured by sincerity and appropriateness, not extravagance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing on dharma by highlighting a concrete practice—feeding Brahmins with duly prepared food—as a model of righteous generosity and hospitality.