Shloka 27
Daśagrīva-boonāvaraṇa, Viṣṇv-avatāra-niyoga, Vānara-sahāya-janana, Mantharā-nirmāṇa
युधिछिर उवाच भगवन् दानधर्माणां तपसो वा महामुने । किंस्विद् बहुगुणं प्रेत्य कि वा दुष्करमुच्यते
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | bhagavan dānadharmāṇāṃ tapaso vā mahāmune | kiṃ svid bahuguṇaṃ pretya kiṃ vā duṣkaram ucyate ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Yang Mulia, wahai resi agung—di antara dharma memberi (dāna) dan laku tapa (tapas), manakah yang dipandang berbuah lebih besar setelah kematian? Dan dari keduanya, manakah yang disebut lebih sukar dilakukan?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a classical dharma inquiry: how to evaluate spiritual practices by (1) their fruit in the hereafter and (2) their practical difficulty. It invites a nuanced ethical comparison between outward beneficence (dāna) and inward discipline (tapas).
In the Vana Parva dialogue setting, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions a revered sage about the relative merit and difficulty of two major paths of dharma—charitable giving and austerity—seeking guidance on what most benefits one beyond death.