Shloka 13
मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite
न्यायलब्धं प्रदातव्यं द्विजातिभ्योन्नमुत्तमम् स्वाध्यायं समुपेते भ्य: प्रह्ष्टेनान्तरात्मना
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | nyāyalabdhaṃ pradātavyaṃ dvijātibhyo 'nnam uttamam | svādhyāyaṃ samupetebhyaḥ prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: One should give, from wealth gained by just means, the finest food as alms to the twice-born—above all to those devoted to sacred study—offering it with an inwardly joyful and willing heart. Charity becomes truly dharmic when both its source (righteous earning) and its intention (glad, respectful giving) are pure, and when it supports those committed to learning and spiritual discipline.
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity should be made from righteously acquired resources, offered as the best possible food, and given with sincere inner joy—particularly to those devoted to svādhyāya (sacred study).
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and gifts, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a rule of proper giving: the donor must ensure just acquisition, worthy recipients (especially students of sacred learning), and a pure, glad intention.