Shloka 4

Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणानां सतामेष ब्राह्मो धर्मो युधिष्ठिर । आवाह्गामावहेदेवं यो दद्यादनुकूलत:

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānāṃ satām eṣa brāhmo dharmo yudhiṣṭhira | āvāhāgāmāvah edeṃvaṃ yo dadyād anukūlataḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O Yudhiṣṭhira, dies ist der brahmanische Dharma tugendhafter Brāhmaṇas: Wird man ehrerbietig eingeladen und empfangen, so soll man (als Gabe) in einer Weise geben, die angenehm und förderlich ist—gemäß dem, was dem Empfänger nützt.“

Word by Word

ब्राह्मणानाम्of Brahmins

सताम्of the virtuous/good

एषःthis

ब्राह्मःBrahminical / pertaining to Brahman

धर्मःduty, law, dharma

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

आवाह्invite (him)! / call (him) in!

गाम्a cow

आवहेत्should bring (it) / should lead (it) here

एवम्thus, in this manner

यःwho

दद्यात्should give

अनुकूलतःfavorably, with goodwill

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

brāhmaṇas

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?

Bhīṣma defines a key aspect of brāhmaṇa-dharma: giving should be done properly—after respectful invitation and reception—and the gift should be offered in a way that is beneficial and pleasing to the recipient (anukūlataḥ), not merely as a formality.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he highlights norms of virtuous brāhmaṇas concerning hospitality and charitable giving, framing it as an ethical standard to be followed.