Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 6
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)
निर्याणं च रथेनाशु सहसा यत् कृतं त्वया । धनानां च विसर्गस्य वनस्यापि च दर्शनम्
niryāṇaṁ ca rathenāśu sahasā yat kṛtaṁ tvayā | dhanānāṁ ca visargasya vanasyāpi ca darśanam ||
Kuśika dit : «Ton départ précipité en char, accompli d’un seul élan et sans délai ; ton geste de distribuer tes richesses ; et même ta démarche d’aller voir la forêt—ces actes (pris ensemble) appellent une réflexion sur la résolution et l’intention qui les portent.»
कुशिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how sudden, decisive actions—rapid departure, relinquishing wealth, and turning toward the forest—signal a moral or spiritual turning point. It invites scrutiny of intention: whether the haste is grounded in dharma (right purpose) and whether charity and withdrawal are undertaken with clarity rather than impulse.
Kuśika addresses someone whose behavior has abruptly shifted: they have quickly set out by chariot, disposed of their wealth (as gifts/charity), and gone to see the forest. Kuśika points to these acts as notable events, implying a significant decision such as withdrawal from worldly life or a dharmic course-change.