Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 31
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
Devanagari script
क्षेत्रभूमिं ददललोके शुभां श्रियमवाप्लुयात्
Transliteration
kṣetrabhūmiṁ dadaloke śubhāṁ śriyam avāpluyāt
Translation
भीष्म ने कहा—जो योग्य पात्र को उपजाऊ खेत-भूमि दान देता है, वह शुभ समृद्धि और कल्याण प्राप्त करता है।
Word by Word
क्षेत्रभूमिम्a field-land (cultivable ground)
क्षेत्रभूमिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्रभूमि
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
ददत्giving
ददत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootदा (ददाति)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
लोकेin the world
लोके:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
शुभाम्auspicious
शुभाम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootशुभ
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
श्रियम्prosperity, fortune
श्रियम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootश्री
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
अवाप्नुयात्would obtain, may attain
अवाप्नुयात्:
TypeVerb
Rootअवाप् (अवाप्नोति)
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaK
kṣetrabhūmi (land/field)Ś
Śrī (prosperity/fortune)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches dāna-dharma: donating productive land is a high form of charity that yields auspicious prosperity, emphasizing ethical wealth gained through generosity.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma, he enumerates the fruits of various gifts; here he states the benefit of gifting a tract of land—attainment of auspicious śrī (prosperity) in this life.