Shloka 2
Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti
Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order
इमांस्तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि धर्मान् धर्मभूतां वर । दानं कतिविध॑ देयं कि तस्य च फलं लभेत्
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | imāṁs tu śrotum icchāmi dharmān dharmabhūtāṁ vara | dānaṁ katividhaṁ deyaṁ kiṁ tasya ca phalaṁ labhet |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai kakek agung, yang terbaik di antara para penegak dharma, aku ingin mendengar kewajiban-kewajiban yang sendiri merupakan wujud dharma. Dalam berapa cara sedekah (dāna) patut diberikan, dan buah apa yang diperoleh dari pemberian itu?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames charity (dāna) as an essential expression of dharma and asks for a systematic account: the kinds of giving and the corresponding results (phala), implying that ethical giving is evaluated by its form and its moral-spiritual outcome.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions Bhīṣma (the grandsire) to receive detailed guidance on the dharma of charity—its classifications and the benefits gained by the giver.