Shloka 1

अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā

Devanagari script

ऑपनआक्ाा बछ। आर: 2 एकोनषशष्टितमो< ध्याय: भीष्मद्वारा उत्तम दान तथा उत्तम ब्राह्मणोंकी प्रशंसा करते हुए उनके सत्कारका उपदेश युधिछिर उवाच यानीमानि बहिर्वेद्यां दानानि परिचक्षते | तेभ्यो विशिष्ट कि दानं मतं ते कुरुपुंगव

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca — imāni bahirvedyāṁ dānāni paricakṣate | tebhyo viśiṣṭaṁ kiṁ dānaṁ mataṁ te kurupuṅgava ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O bull among the Kurus, people speak of these gifts offered outside the sacrificial altar. Among them all, which gift do you regard as the most excellent?”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इमानि: these
• इमानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• बहिः: outside
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)

• वेद्याम्: on/at the sacrificial altar (vedi)
• वेद्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• परिचक्षते: they describe/they speak of
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• तेभ्यः: from/than those
• तेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• विशिष्टम्: more excellent/superior
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+शिष्/शास् → विशिष्ट)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दानम्: gift/charity
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मतम्: considered/thought (to be)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मन् → मत)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• कुरुपुङ्गव: O bull among the Kurus (best of the Kurus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kurupuṅgava (honorific addressee, i.e., Bhīṣma)
• Vedi (sacrificial altar)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry: among various forms of non-ritual (outside-the-altar) giving, which is truly superior. It sets up Bhīṣma’s guidance that the value of dāna depends on discernment—worthy recipients, right intention, and dharmic context—not merely ritual form.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Yudhiṣṭhira questions the elder authority (addressed as ‘best of the Kurus’) about hierarchies of charitable giving, preparing for a discourse praising excellent gifts and the honoring of exemplary brāhmaṇas.