Shloka 4
Nakṣatra-yoga-anusāreṇa Dāna-vidhiḥ
Gifts prescribed according to lunar mansions and yogas
याच्यमाहुरनीशस्य अभिहारं च भारत | उद्वेजयन्ति याचन्ति सदा भूतानि दस्युवत्
yācyam āhur anīśasya abhihāraṃ ca bhārata | udvejayanti yācanti sadā bhūtāni dasyuvat, bhārata! |
Bhishma said: “O Bharata, begging is declared to be the lot of one who lacks power and independence, and it is also regarded as a kind of affront. For beings who beg continually disturb others, like robbers do—ever causing anxiety as they ask again and again.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that habitual begging is seen as a mark of dependence and becomes socially contemptible because it repeatedly troubles others; one should strive for self-sufficiency and avoid causing distress through constant solicitation.
In his instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as ‘Bharata’), Bhishma comments on the social and ethical perception of begging, comparing persistent beggars to robbers in the way they unsettle people.