Mahabharata 3.201.120 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 120

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच यत्‌ त्वमिच्छसि राजेन्द्र दानधर्म युधिष्ठिर । इष्ट चेद॑ं सदा महूं राजन्‌ गौरवतस्तथा

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | yat tvam icchasi rājendra dāna-dharma Yudhiṣṭhira | iṣṭaṃ cedam sadā mahyaṃ rājan gauravatas tathā ||

Translation

Dijo Mārkaṇḍeya: «Oh el mejor de los reyes, Yudhiṣṭhira, el dharma de la dádiva que deseas oír de mí me es siempre querido, oh rey, precisamente porque es noble y digno de honor».

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Markandeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• इच्छसि: desire/wish
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दानधर्मम्: the duty/law of giving (charity)
• दानधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhishthira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• इष्टम्: dear/pleasing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• मम: of me / to me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गौरवतः: because of its dignity/importance
• गौरवतः: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौरवत्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dāna (charitable giving) as a dignified, honor-worthy aspect of dharma, and presents it as a subject that a sage gladly teaches because of its inherent nobility.

What is happening in the narrative?

In response to Yudhiṣṭhira’s request, the sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins an instruction on dāna-dharma, affirming his willingness and esteem for the topic before proceeding with the teaching.