Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अपीडिता: सुसंवृद्धा ये ददत्यनुकूलत: । तादृशेनाप्युपायेन यष्टव्यं नोद्यमाहतै:,इसलिये जो लोग बहुत धनी हों और बिना पीड़ा दिये ही अनुकूलतापूर्वक धन दे सकें, उनके दिये हुए अथवा वैसे ही मृदु उपायसे प्राप्त हुए धनके द्वारा यज्ञ करना चाहिये; प्रजापीड़नरूप कठोर प्रयत्नसे लाये हुए धनके द्वारा नहीं

Transliteration

apīḍitāḥ susaṃvṛddhā ye dadaty anukūlataḥ | tādṛśenāpy upāyena yaṣṭavyaṃ nodyamāhataiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Those who are well-prospered and can give wealth willingly, without causing anyone distress—one should perform sacrifices with wealth received from such donors, or obtained by similarly gentle means. Sacrifice should not be undertaken with wealth brought in through harsh exertion that harms the people.

Word by Word

अपीडिताःunafflicted; not causing pain

सुसंवृद्धाःwell-grown; prosperous/very wealthy

येwho (those who)

ददतिgive

अनुकूलतःfavorably; in a pleasing manner

तादृशेनby such (a kind of means/wealth)

अपिalso; even

उपायेनby a means/method

यष्टव्यम्should be sacrificed/performed (a yajña should be done)

नnot

उद्यमाहतैःby (means) struck/tainted by harsh exertion; obtained through oppressive effort

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Religious acts like yajña must be funded by ethically obtained wealth—preferably voluntary gifts from the prosperous or income gained through gentle, non-harmful means—not by oppressing people or extracting resources through harsh measures.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma, he advises the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in this parva’s broader dialogue) about proper sources of wealth for ritual and public religious works, warning against financing sacrifice through people-harming exertion.