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Shloka 296

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

न तारयति दातार ब्राह्मणं नैव नैव तु । एक गौ एक ही ब्राह्मणको देनी चाहिये; बहुतोंको कभी नहीं (क्योंकि एक ही गौ यदि बहुतोंको दी गयी, तो वे उसे बेचकर उसकी कीमत बाँट लेंगे)। दान की हुई गौ यदि बेच दी गयी, तो वह दाताकी तीन पीढ़ियोंको हानि पहुँचाती है। वह न तो दाताको ही पार उतारती है न ब्राह्मणको ही

na tārayati dātāraṁ brāhmaṇaṁ naiva naiva tu |

マールカンデーヤは言った。「このような施しは、施す者をも受けるバラモンをも(功徳の彼岸へ)渡らせはしない。決して、決して。」文脈において彼は、一頭の牛はただ一人のバラモンに与えるべきで、多人数に分けてはならぬと戒める。もし施した牛が売られ、その代価が分けられるなら、施与の清浄と神聖は失われ、その行いは救いではなく、施主の家系に三代にわたり害を及ぼす。

not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तारयतिsaves, ferries across
तारयति:
TypeVerb
Rootतॄ (तारयति—णिच्)
FormPresent (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
दातारम्the giver (donor)
दातारम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदातृ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
ब्राह्मणम्the Brahmin
ब्राह्मणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तुbut, however
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

M
Mārkaṇḍeya
B
brāhmaṇa (Brahmin)
D
dātṛ (donor)
G
go (cow) (implied by the surrounding passage)

Educational Q&A

A gift must be given in a dharmic manner to yield merit. If a cow-gift is handled improperly—such as being effectively converted into shared cash by selling it—then it fails to ‘save’ either donor or recipient and can even bring harm to the donor’s lineage.

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing on dāna-dharma (the right way to give). He emphasizes that certain gifts, especially a cow, should be given intact to a single qualified Brahmin; otherwise the act loses its sacred purpose and becomes ethically flawed.