Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

एवंविधेषु दातव्या न समृद्धेषु भारत । को गुणो भरतश्रेष्ठ समृद्धेष्वभिवर्जितम्‌,भारत! ऐसे ही लोगोंको गोदान करना चाहिये, धनवानोंको नहीं। भरतश्रेष्ठ! धनवानोंको देनेसे क्या लाभ है?

Transliteration

evaṁvidheṣu dātavyā na samṛddheṣu bhārata | ko guṇo bharataśreṣṭha samṛddheṣv abhivarjitam ||

Translation

ഹേ ഭാരതാ! ദാനം ഇത്തരക്കാര്ക്കാണ് നൽകേണ്ടത്; ഇതിനകം സമൃദ്ധരായവർക്കല്ല. ഹേ ഭരതശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! ഒന്നിനും കുറവില്ലാത്ത ധനവാന്മാർക്ക് നൽകിയാൽ എന്ത് പുണ്യലാഭം?

Word by Word

एवम्thus; in this manner

विधेषुin such kinds (of persons/conditions)

दातव्याshould be given

नnot

समृद्धेषुamong the prosperous/wealthy

भारतO Bharata

कःwhat? which?

गुणःbenefit; merit; advantage

भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

समृद्धेषुamong the prosperous/wealthy

अभिवर्जितम्avoided; excluded; passed over

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Bhārata (addressee, typically Yudhiṣṭhira in this dialogue)

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?

Charity gains ethical and spiritual value when directed toward those in genuine need; giving to the already wealthy yields little meaningful merit because it does not relieve suffering or deficiency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a Bharata prince (in this section, commonly Yudhiṣṭhira) and instructs him on the proper recipients of gifts, emphasizing discernment in dāna as part of righteous conduct.