Shloka 22
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
यावद् धन प्रार्थयते ब्राह्मणो5यं सखा तव । देवानां शासनात् तावदसंख्येयं ददाम्यहम्,तुम्हारा सखा यह ब्राह्मण जितना धन चाहता हो, देवताओंकी आज्ञासे मैं उतना ही अथवा असंख्य धन इसे दे रहा हूँ
yāvad dhanaṃ prārthayate brāhmaṇo 'yaṃ sakhā tava | devānāṃ śāsanāt tāvad asaṅkhyeyaṃ dadāmy aham ||
Maṇibhadra said: “So long as this brāhmaṇa—your friend—continues to ask for wealth, by the command of the gods I shall give him that much, even wealth beyond counting.”
मणिभद्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Giving (dāna) is presented as a form of dharma carried out without calculation: when a worthy petitioner asks, the giver responds generously, seeing the act as aligned with (and even mandated by) a higher divine order.
Maṇibhadra addresses someone whose friend is a brāhmaṇa seeking wealth. He declares that, under the gods’ command, he will grant whatever is requested—indeed, even immeasurable wealth—emphasizing readiness to fulfill the supplicant’s need.