Shloka 25

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

आकल्प: परिचर्या च गात्रसंवाहनानि च । अन्नैकैकं नृपश्रेष्ठ गोदानाद्धयतिरिच्यते,नृपश्रेष्ठ! देवविग्रहोंपर चढ़े हुए चन्दन-पुष्प आदिको यथासमय उतारना, ब्राह्मणोंकी जूठन साफ करना, उन्हें चन्दन-माला आदिसे अलंकृत करना, उनकी सेवा-पूजा करना और उनके पैर आदि अंगोंको दबाना, इनमेंसे एक-एक कार्य गोदानसे भी अधिक महत्त्व रखता है

Transliteration

ākalpaḥ paricaryā ca gātrasaṃvāhanāni ca | annaikaikaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭha godānādd hy atiricyate ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Ruler among men, even a single act such as attentive personal service, proper attendance, or massaging the limbs (of the worthy) surpasses the merit of gifting a cow. Such humble, timely service—done with reverence—outweighs grand donations, because it directly honors and supports those who embody dharma.”

Word by Word

आकल्पःproper arrangement/attentive service (as prescribed)

परिचर्याattendance, service

चand

गात्रसंवाहनानिmassaging of the limbs

चand

अन्नैकैकम्each single (act) of food-giving (i.e., each one among these acts)

नृपश्रेष्ठO best of kings

गोदानात्than a gift of cows

हिindeed, for

अतिरिच्यतेis surpassed/exceeded

नृपश्रेष्ठO best of kings

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

nṛpaśreṣṭha (the king addressed)

go-dāna (cow-gift)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That humble, direct service—attending properly, caring for the body, and devoted personal assistance to the worthy—can yield greater spiritual merit than prestigious gifts like cow-donation, because it expresses reverence and sustains dharma in practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a king and instructs him on comparative merit: he elevates concrete acts of service (paricaryā, saṃvāhana) above celebrated acts of charity (go-dāna), emphasizing lived devotion and ethical conduct.