Shloka 3
Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti
Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order
कथं केभ्यश्न धर्म्य च दानं दातव्यमिष्यते । कै: कारणै: कतिविध॑ श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः,कैसे और किन लोगोंको धर्मके अनुसार दान देना अभीष्ट है? किन कारणोंसे देना चाहिये? और दानके कितने भेद हो जाते हैं? यह सब मैं यथार्थरूपसे सुनना चाहता हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kathaṁ kebhyaś ca dharmyaṁ ca dānaṁ dātavyam iṣyate | kaiḥ kāraṇaiḥ kati-vidhaṁ śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Bagaimanakah, dan kepada siapakah, pemberian yang benar menurut dharma dianggap wajar? Atas sebab-sebab apakah seseorang patut memberi? Dan kepada berapa jenis sedekah itu dibahagikan? Aku ingin mendengar semuanya dengan tepat dan benar.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames charity (dāna) as a dharmic discipline requiring discernment: one must know the proper recipients, the proper manner of giving, the right motives, and the recognized classifications of gifts.
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking clarity on righteous conduct, asks an authoritative elder/teacher to explain the principles of charity—who deserves gifts, how gifts should be given, why one should give, and the different kinds of dāna.