Mahabharata 3.201.120 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 120
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
मार्कण्डेय उवाच यत् त्वमिच्छसि राजेन्द्र दानधर्म युधिष्ठिर । इष्ट चेद॑ं सदा महूं राजन् गौरवतस्तथा
Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | yat tvam icchasi rājendra dāna-dharma Yudhiṣṭhira | iṣṭaṃ cedam sadā mahyaṃ rājan gauravatas tathā ||
Mārkaṇḍeya dit : «Ô le meilleur des rois, Yudhiṣṭhira, le dharma du don que tu souhaites entendre de moi m’est toujours cher, ô roi — précisément parce qu’il est noble et digne d’honneur.»
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dāna (charitable giving) as a dignified, honor-worthy aspect of dharma, and presents it as a subject that a sage gladly teaches because of its inherent nobility.
In response to Yudhiṣṭhira’s request, the sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins an instruction on dāna-dharma, affirming his willingness and esteem for the topic before proceeding with the teaching.
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