Shloka 13
Nārada’s Exempla of Tapas and Assurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (नारदोपदेशः—तपःसिद्ध्युदाहरणम्)
अजिनानि प्रवेणीश्व खुक् खुवं च महीपति: । कमण्डलूंश्व स्थालीश्व पिठराणि च भारत
ajīnāni praveṇīś ca khuk-khuvaṃ ca mahīpatiḥ | kamaṇḍalūṃś ca sthālīś ca piṭharāṇi ca bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Le roi distribua aux ascètes des peaux de cerf et des faisceaux d’herbe sacrée, ainsi que les instruments appelés khuk et khuvas ; et aussi des pots à eau (kamaṇḍalu), des ustensiles de cuisson et des jarres. Dans ce don, quel que fût l’ustensile désiré par chaque renonçant—et dans la mesure requise—c’était exactement cela qui lui était remis, et l’on ajoutait encore les récipients nécessaires.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dāna as a practical expression of dharma: a ruler’s wealth and resources should be used to support spiritual discipline and the needs of the virtuous, giving appropriately according to the recipient’s requirement rather than for display.
In the Āśramavāsika context, Yudhiṣṭhira is distributing ascetic necessities—deerskins, grass bundles, water-pots, and other vessels—to tapasvins, ensuring each receives exactly what is desired and additionally what is necessary.