Shloka 31

Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रभूमिं ददललोके शुभां श्रियमवाप्लुयात्‌

Transliteration

kṣetrabhūmiṁ dadaloke śubhāṁ śriyam avāpluyāt

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Wer einem würdigen Empfänger ein fruchtbares Stück Land schenkt, erlangt glückverheißenden Wohlstand und Wohlergehen.“

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रभूमिम्: a field-land (cultivable ground)
• क्षेत्रभूमिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्रभूमि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ददत्: giving
• ददत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्नुयात्: would obtain, may attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवाप् (अवाप्नोति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kṣetrabhūmi (land/field)
• Śrī (prosperity/fortune)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches dāna-dharma: donating productive land is a high form of charity that yields auspicious prosperity, emphasizing ethical wealth gained through generosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma, he enumerates the fruits of various gifts; here he states the benefit of gifting a tract of land—attainment of auspicious śrī (prosperity) in this life.