Shloka 86
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
अब्रवीद् भरतश्रेष्ठ॑ धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम् । राजन! सत्यवतीनन्दन व्यासने उस भूमिदानको ग्रहण करके भरतश्रेष्ठ धर्मराज युधिष्ठिससे कहा--
abravīd bharataśreṣṭhaṃ dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | rājan satyavatīnandana vyāsane sa bhūmidānaṃ grahītvā bharataśreṣṭha dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram uvāca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having accepted that gift of land, Vyāsa—the son of Satyavatī—addressed King Yudhiṣṭhira, the foremost of the Bharatas and upholder of dharma. The scene frames a morally charged exchange: a righteous king offers, a venerable sage receives, and instruction is poised to follow, grounding royal generosity in ethical order rather than mere display.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dhārmic giving: a king’s donation (especially land) is validated and made meaningful when received and guided by a sage, implying that charity should be aligned with righteousness, proper recipients, and ethical intention rather than mere royal grandeur.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Vyāsa, after accepting a land-gift, turns to address Yudhiṣṭhira. This functions as a transition into counsel or instruction, with the acceptance of the gift establishing the legitimacy of the act and setting the stage for moral guidance.