Mahabharata 3.201.122 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 122

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

Devanagari script

जीवनाय समाक्तलिन्नं वसु दत्त्वा महीयते । वैश्यं तु वासयेद्‌ यस्तु सर्वयज्ञै: स इष्टवान्‌

Transliteration

jīvanāya samāktalinnaṃ vasu dattvā mahīyate | vaiśyaṃ tu vāsayed yas tu sarvayajñaiḥ sa iṣṭavān ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Wer Reichtum gibt, um das Leben eines anderen zu erhalten, wird geehrt. Und wer einem Vaiśya Wohnung und Unterhalt gewährt, der gilt als einer, der alle Opferhandlungen (yajñas) vollzogen hat.“

Word by Word

• जीवनाय: for livelihood/for living
• जीवनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• समाकुलम्: distressed, troubled
• समाकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाकुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• वसु: wealth, property
• वसु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• महीयते: is honored/is esteemed
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह्
• Form: Lat, Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• वैश्यम्: a Vaishya (merchant class person)
• वैश्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• वासयेत्: should cause to dwell/should lodge
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Vidhi-lin, Optative, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

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

• तु: indeed/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सर्वयज्ञैः: by all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वयज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इष्टवान्: has sacrificed/has performed sacrifices
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: क्तवत् (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Vaiśya
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustaining others through generous giving and hospitality is presented as supremely meritorious—so meritorious that it is likened to the fruit of performing all sacrificial rites.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing on dharma by praising life-sustaining charity and the act of providing residence/support, framing such ethical conduct as equal in value to extensive ritual sacrifice.