Shloka 3

Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti

Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order

Devanagari script

कथं केभ्यश्न धर्म्य च दानं दातव्यमिष्यते । कै: कारणै: कतिविध॑ श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kathaṁ kebhyaś ca dharmyaṁ ca dānaṁ dātavyam iṣyate | kaiḥ kāraṇaiḥ kati-vidhaṁ śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Comment, et à qui, le don juste est-il tenu pour convenable selon le dharma ? Pour quelles raisons doit-on donner ? Et en combien de sortes la charité est-elle classée ? Je souhaite entendre tout cela dans sa vérité exacte.»

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• केभ्यः: to whom
• केभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: all, Dative, Plural

• धर्म्यम्: righteous, in accordance with dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दातव्यम्: is to be given / should be given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), Passive (obligation), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• इष्यते: is desired / is approved
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Ātmanepada, 3rd, Singular

• कैः: by what / with what
• कैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: all, Instrumental, Plural

• कारणैः: by reasons, for causes
• कारणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कति: how many
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कति

• विधम्: kinds, types
• विधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• इच्छामि: I wish / I desire
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, 1st, Singular

• तत्त्वतः: in truth, correctly, as it really is
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames charity (dāna) as a dharmic discipline requiring discernment: one must know the proper recipients, the proper manner of giving, the right motives, and the recognized classifications of gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking clarity on righteous conduct, asks an authoritative elder/teacher to explain the principles of charity—who deserves gifts, how gifts should be given, why one should give, and the different kinds of dāna.