Shloka 2

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)

Devanagari script

कुशिक उवाच यदि प्रीतोडसि भगवंस्ततो मे वद भार्गव | कारणं श्रोतुमिच्छामि मद्गृहे वासकारितम्‌

Transliteration

Kuśika uvāca: yadi prīto ’si bhagavaṁs tato me vada Bhārgava | kāraṇaṁ śrotum icchāmi mad-gṛhe vāsa-kāritam ||

Translation

Kuśika dit : «Ô vénérable, ô Bhārgava ! Si tu es satisfait de moi, dis-le-moi : pour quelle raison as-tu choisi de demeurer tant de jours dans ma maison ? Je souhaite en entendre la cause.»

Word by Word

• {'Kuśika uvāca': 'Kuśika said', 'yadi': 'if', 'prītaḥ asi (prīto ’si)': 'you are pleased / satisfied', 'bhagavan': 'venerable one

• revered sage/lord (honorific address)', 'tataḥ': 'then

• in that case', 'me': 'to me

• my', 'vada': 'tell

• speak', 'Bhārgava': 'descendant of Bhṛgu

• an epithet for the sage addressed', 'kāraṇam': 'cause

• reason', 'śrotum': 'to hear', 'icchāmi': 'I desire

• I wish', 'mad-gṛhe': 'in my house', 'vāsa': 'dwelling

• residence', 'kāritam': 'caused to be done

• arranged/undertaken (here: ‘your staying, as brought about/undertaken’)'}

Speaker

कुशिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kuśika
• Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• mad-gṛha (Kuśika's house)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic inquiry: a householder respectfully asks a sage to disclose the purpose behind an extended stay, implying that hospitality and ethical conduct are often tested and clarified through dialogue with the wise.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kuśika addresses the Bhārgava sage with reverence and, assuming the sage is pleased, requests an explanation for why the sage lived in Kuśika’s home for many days, seeking to understand the underlying reason.