Shloka 23
तमुवाच ततः प्रीत: स मुनिर्मुदूगलं ततः । त्वत्समो नास्ति लोके5स्मिन् दाता मात्सर्यवर्जित:,तब वे प्रसन्न होकर मुद्गलसे बोले--“ब्रह्मन! इस संसारमें ईष्यासे रहित होकर दान देनेवाला मनुष्य तुम्हारे समान दूसरा कोई नहीं है
tam uvāca tataḥ prītaḥ sa munir mudgalam tataḥ | tvat-samo nāsti loke 'smin dātā mātsarya-varjitaḥ ||
Then that sage, pleased at heart, addressed Mudgala: “O brāhmaṇa, in this world there is no other giver equal to you—one who gives free from envy and spite.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
True charity is not merely the act of giving but the inner disposition behind it: giving should be free from mātsarya (envy/spite). The verse elevates nirmātsarya-dāna—generosity without jealousy—as a hallmark of exemplary dharma.
The sage (as narrated by Vyāsa) expresses heartfelt approval and praises Mudgala, declaring that no one in the world equals him as a donor who gives without envy. It functions as a moral commendation within the Mudgala episode in the Vana Parva.