Shloka 19

Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna

Utility Gifts

Devanagari script

अनर्थो ब्राह्मणस्यैष यद्‌ वित्तनिचयो महान्‌

Transliteration

anartho brāhmaṇasya eṣa yad vittanicayo mahān

Translation

Bhishma said: “This is a real misfortune for a brahmana—when he amasses a great hoard of wealth.”

Word by Word

• अनर्थः: harm, misfortune
• अनर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वित्तनिचयः: accumulation of wealth
• वित्तनिचयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त-निचय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महान्: great, large
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• brāhmaṇa
• wealth (vitta)
• hoard/accumulation (nicaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A brāhmaṇa’s dharma is undermined by excessive hoarding of wealth; accumulation breeds attachment and distracts from learning, self-control, and righteous living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva, he lays down ethical guidance about proper conduct, here cautioning against large-scale wealth accumulation for brāhmaṇas.