Shloka 2
Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
एतदिच्छामि विज्ञातुं याथातथ्येन भारत । विद्वन् जिज्ञासमानाय दानधर्मान् प्रचक्ष्व मे
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
Etad icchāmi vijñātuṁ yāthātathyena Bhārata |
Vidvan jijñāsamānāya dānadharmān pracakṣva me ||
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Oh Bhārata, deseo saber esto exactamente tal como es en verdad. Oh sabio, a mí, que anhelo comprender, expón los dharmas del dar, para que pueda discernir, según la medida y la circunstancia, qué clase de caridad debe ofrecerse, a quién, con qué intención, y cómo tales actos dan fruto más allá de la muerte».
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as something to be learned through precise inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks an exact, truth-aligned account of dāna-dharma, implying that ethical giving depends on right understanding of context, recipient, intention, and method.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a learned authority (traditionally Bhīṣma) and requests a detailed exposition of the principles of charity, preparing for a broader teaching on how giving yields spiritual and posthumous merit.