Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 22

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving

Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum

Devanagari script

देवार्थ पितृयज्ञार्थमन्नं श्रद्धाउ55हतं मया । न दत्तमर्थकामेन देयमन्नं पुरा किल

Transliteration

devārthaṁ pitṛyajñārtham annaṁ śraddhayā ujjhitaṁ mayā | na dattam arthakāmena deyam annaṁ purā kila ||

Translation

पूर्वजन्म में मैं देवताओं के लिए और पितृयज्ञ के लिए श्रद्धापूर्वक अन्न एकत्र करता था; पर धन-लालसा के कारण, जो अन्न दान करने योग्य था, उसका भी दान नहीं करता था।

Word by Word

• देव-अर्थम्: for the sake of the gods
• देव-अर्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पितृ-यज्ञ-अर्थम्: for the sake of the ancestral sacrifice
• पितृ-यज्ञ-अर्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + यज्ञ + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food, grain
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रद्धा-उपहतम्: accompanied/impelled by faith; done with श्रद्धा
• श्रद्धा-उपहतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-हन् (धातु) → उपहत (कृदन्त) + श्रद्धा
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• दत्तम्: given (was not given)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अर्थ-कामेन: by desire for wealth and pleasure; out of greed
• अर्थ-कामेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + काम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• देयम्: to be given, fit to be donated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food (the food that should be given)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• किल: indeed, it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

Speaker

कीट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• devas (gods)
• pitṛs (ancestors)
• anna (food/grain)
• śraddhā (faith)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merely setting aside resources for sacred purposes is not enough; withholding what is meant to be given—out of greed—violates dāna-dharma and leads to adverse karmic results.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (the ‘kīṭa’) confesses a past-life fault: he collected food for offerings to gods and ancestors but, motivated by desire for wealth, failed to donate even the portion that should have been given away.