Shloka 79
यक्ष उवाच किमर्थ ब्राह्मणे दानं किमर्थ नटनर्तके । किमर्थ चैव भृत्येषु किमर्थ चैव राजसु,यक्षने पूछा--ब्राह्मणको किसलिये दान दिया जाता है? नट और नर्तकोंको क्यों दान देते हैं? सेवकोंको दान देनेका क्या प्रयोजन है? और राजाओंको क्यों दान दिया जाता है?
yakṣa uvāca: kimarthaṃ brāhmaṇe dānaṃ? kimarthaṃ naṭanartake? kimarthaṃ caiva bhṛtyeṣu? kimarthaṃ caiva rājasu?
Dijo el Yaksha: «¿Con qué propósito se da una dádiva a un brāhmaṇa? ¿Con qué propósito se da a actores y danzantes? ¿Cuál es la razón de dar a los sirvientes? ¿Y por qué se ofrecen dones a los reyes?»
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry into the aims of giving: different recipients represent different social functions—spiritual learning (Brahmins), cultural performance (actors/dancers), service and dependence (servants), and governance/protection (kings). The implied lesson is that dāna is ethically evaluated by purpose and context, not merely by the act of giving.
In the Yaksha’s questioning sequence (Yakṣa-praśna), the Yaksha tests the respondent’s understanding of dharma by asking why gifts are offered to various groups. The question is part of a larger examination of right conduct, social responsibility, and the proper motivations behind charity.