Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 22

Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma

Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins

यावद्‌ धन प्रार्थयते ब्राह्मणो5यं सखा तव । देवानां शासनात्‌ तावदसंख्येयं ददाम्यहम्‌,तुम्हारा सखा यह ब्राह्मण जितना धन चाहता हो, देवताओंकी आज्ञासे मैं उतना ही अथवा असंख्य धन इसे दे रहा हूँ

yāvad dhanaṃ prārthayate brāhmaṇo 'yaṃ sakhā tava | devānāṃ śāsanāt tāvad asaṅkhyeyaṃ dadāmy aham ||

マニバドラは言った。「このバラモン――そなたの友――が富を求め続けるかぎり、神々の命により、求めるだけ与えよう。数え尽くせぬほどの財であっても。」

यावत्as much as / so long as
यावत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयावत्
Formcorrelative adverb (yāvat–tāvat)
धनम्wealth
धनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधन
Formneuter, accusative, singular
प्रार्थयतेasks for / requests
प्रार्थयते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रार्थय्
Formpresent, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular
ब्राह्मणःthe Brahmin
ब्राह्मणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
अयम्this
अयम्:
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
सखाfriend
सखा:
TypeNoun
Rootसखि
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
तवof you / your
तव:
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Formgenitive, singular
देवानाम्of the gods
देवानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootदेव
Formmasculine, genitive, plural
शासनात्from the command / by the order
शासनात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootशासन
Formneuter, ablative, singular
तावत्that much / so much
तावत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत्
Formcorrelative adverb (yāvat–tāvat)
असंख्येयम्countless
असंख्येयम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअसंख्येय
Formneuter, accusative, singular
ददामिI give
ददामि:
TypeVerb
Rootदा
Formpresent, parasmaipada, 1st person, singular
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअहम्
Formnominative, singular

मणिभद्र उवाच

M
Maṇibhadra
B
brāhmaṇa (the supplicant)
T
the gods (devāḥ)
T
the friend addressed (tava sakhā)

Educational Q&A

Giving (dāna) is presented as a form of dharma carried out without calculation: when a worthy petitioner asks, the giver responds generously, seeing the act as aligned with (and even mandated by) a higher divine order.

Maṇibhadra addresses someone whose friend is a brāhmaṇa seeking wealth. He declares that, under the gods’ command, he will grant whatever is requested—indeed, even immeasurable wealth—emphasizing readiness to fulfill the supplicant’s need.