Shloka 7
युधिछिर उवाच यदिदं वेदवचनं दक्षिणासु विधीयते । इदं देयमिदं देयं न क्वचिद् व्यवतिष्ठते,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--भारत! यह जो यज्ञसम्बन्धी दक्षिणाके विषयमें वेदवाक्य उपलब्ध होता है कि “यह भी देना चाहिये, यह भी देना चाहिये” यह वाक्य किसी सीमित वस्तुपर अवलम्बित नहीं है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yad idaṃ vedavacanaṃ dakṣiṇāsu vidhīyate | idaṃ deyam idaṃ deyam na kvacid vyavatiṣṭhate ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Bhārata! Tentang dakṣiṇā—imbalan suci bagi yajña—sabda Weda terus-menerus memerintahkan, ‘Ini harus diberikan, itu pun harus diberikan,’ namun tidak menetapkan batas yang tetap. Bila perintah memberi tampak tanpa tepi, bagaimana ukuran dan aturannya harus dipahami?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse raises a dharma-question about giving: Vedic language repeatedly urges generosity (‘this should be given’), but Yudhiṣṭhira seeks clarity on how such an apparently unlimited injunction should be applied—what determines the proper measure, context, and rule of dakṣiṇā.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks about sacrificial giving. He cites a Vedic-style formulation that seems to demand continual giving and notes that it does not specify a clear boundary, prompting the teacher to explain the correct principle behind dakṣiṇā.