Shloka 120
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
मार्कण्डेय उवाच यत् त्वमिच्छसि राजेन्द्र दानधर्म युधिष्ठिर । इष्ट चेद॑ं सदा महूं राजन् गौरवतस्तथा,मार्कण्डेयजीने कहा--महाराज युधिष्छिर! तुम मुझसे जिस दान-धर्मको सुनना चाहते हो वह गौरवयुक्त होनेके कारण मुझे सदा ही प्रिय है
Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | yat tvam icchasi rājendra dāna-dharma Yudhiṣṭhira | iṣṭaṃ cedam sadā mahyaṃ rājan gauravatas tathā ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O best of kings, Yudhiṣṭhira, the dharma of giving that you wish to hear from me is always dear to me, O king—indeed, precisely because it is noble and worthy of honor.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dāna (charitable giving) as a dignified, honor-worthy aspect of dharma, and presents it as a subject that a sage gladly teaches because of its inherent nobility.
In response to Yudhiṣṭhira’s request, the sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins an instruction on dāna-dharma, affirming his willingness and esteem for the topic before proceeding with the teaching.