Shloka 24

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)

Devanagari script

धनोत्सर्गेडपि च कृते न त्वां क्रोध: प्रधर्षयत्‌

Transliteration

dhanotsarge 'pi ca kṛte na tvāṁ krodhaḥ pradharṣayat | prītyarthaṁ tava caitan me svargasaṁdarśanaṁ kṛtam ||

Translation

たとえ私が汝の財を奪い取ろうとしたときでさえ、怒りは汝を支配しなかった。その一点こそ、私を大いに喜ばせた。ゆえに王よ、人の主よ、私は汝に—王妃とともに—この森において天界を見せたのだ。ただ汝を満足させるために。よく知れ、これら一切の行いの目的は、ただ汝を喜ばせることにあったのだ。

Word by Word

• धन: wealth
• धन: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सर्गे: in the giving away / relinquishing
• उत्सर्गे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कृते: when (it was) done
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कृत)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्रोधः: anger
• क्रोधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रधर्षयत्: overpowered / assailed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-धृष्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular

• प्रीत्यर्थम्: for (your) pleasure
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रीति-अर्थ

• तव: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मे: my / for me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• स्वर्ग-संदर्शनम्: a showing of heaven / vision of heaven
• स्वर्ग-संदर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-संदर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कृतम्: done; made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कृत)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Chyavana (Cyavana)
• king (rājan/manujeśvara)
• the king's wife
• svarga (heaven)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True virtue is shown by restraint: even under provocation and material loss, one should not be conquered by anger. Such self-mastery becomes the basis for honor, divine favor, and higher attainments.

What is happening in the narrative?

Cyavana explains that he deliberately created a situation where the king’s wealth was taken away to test him. Seeing that the king did not succumb to anger, Cyavana became pleased and therefore granted the king (with his wife) a vision of heaven in the forest as a reward and reassurance.