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Shloka 23

Adhyaya 7Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory

उच्यतां भगवन् यत्ते दातव्यमविशङ्कितम् ।

दत्तमित्येव तद्विद्धि यद्यपि स्यात् सुदुर्लभम् ॥

ucyatāṃ bhagavan yat te dātavyam aviśaṅkitam |

dattam ity eva tad viddhi yady api syāt sudurlabham ||

Wahai Yang Mulia, mohon jelaskan apa yang patut didermakan tanpa ragu. Ketahuilah, saat seseorang bertekad ‘ini telah diberikan’, pada saat itu pula ia sungguh menjadi ‘telah diberikan’—meski benda itu amat sukar diperoleh.

ucyatāmlet it be said; please state
ucyatām:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Passive (कर्मणि प्रयोग)
bhagavanO venerable one
bhagavan:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
yatwhatever (thing)
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun
teof you; your
te:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); enclitic pronoun
dātavyamto be given
dātavyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootdā (धातु)
FormGerundive/Obligative (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; ‘to be given’
aviśaṅkitamwithout hesitation
aviśaṅkitam:
Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-viśaṅkita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; negative prefix a-; ‘without doubt/fear’
dattamgiven
dattam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdatta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; ‘given (thing)’
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle (इति-निपात)
evaindeed; just
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (अवधारण)
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
viddhiknow; understand
viddhi:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvid (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
yadiif
yadi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyadi (अव्यय)
FormConditional particle (शर्त-निपात)
apieven though; even
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormConcessive particle (अपि)
syātshould be; might be
syāt:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootas (धातु)
FormOptative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
sudurlabhamvery difficult to obtain
sudurlabham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootsu-durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; कर्मधारय: su + durlabha = ‘very hard to obtain’
Unspecified from the single-verse input (likely a questioner addressing a revered teacher/sage within the chapter’s dialogue frame).

{ "primaryRasa": "bhakti", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

DharmaDānaEthics of intention (saṅkalpa)Non-attachment

FAQs

The verse elevates the inner resolve (saṅkalpa) behind charity: giving should be undertaken without wavering, and the moral act is grounded in the sincere commitment to give—even when the gift is costly or rare. It emphasizes courage, steadiness, and a non-calculating attitude in dāna.

This verse aligns most naturally with Dharma/Ācāra instruction rather than the cosmological fivefold (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). In pancalakṣaṇa terms it is ancillary ethical teaching (not a direct instance of sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita).

Esoterically, it points to the primacy of inner offering: the ‘gift’ is consummated at the level of intention, suggesting that relinquishment begins in consciousness. The rarity of the object symbolizes the ego’s attachments; overcoming hesitation is an inner victory over possessiveness and fear.