Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऑपनआक्ाा बछ। आर: 2 एकोनषशष्टितमो< ध्याय: भीष्मद्वारा उत्तम दान तथा उत्तम ब्राह्मणोंकी प्रशंसा करते हुए उनके सत्कारका उपदेश युधिछिर उवाच यानीमानि बहिर्वेद्यां दानानि परिचक्षते | तेभ्यो विशिष्ट कि दानं मतं ते कुरुपुंगव,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--कुरुश्रेष्ठी! वेदीके बाहर जो ये दान बताये जाते हैं, उन सबकी अपेक्षा आपके मतमें कौन दान श्रेष्ठ है?

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca — imāni bahirvedyāṁ dānāni paricakṣate | tebhyo viśiṣṭaṁ kiṁ dānaṁ mataṁ te kurupuṅgava ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai banteng di kalangan Kuru, orang memperkatakan tentang pemberian yang dipersembahkan di luar altar korban. Antara semuanya itu, yang manakah engkau anggap sebagai pemberian yang paling utama?”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid/spoke

इमानिthese

बहिःoutside

वेद्याम्on/at the sacrificial altar (vedi)

दानानिgifts/charities

परिचक्षतेthey describe/they speak of

तेभ्यःfrom/than those

विशिष्टम्more excellent/superior

किम्what?

दानम्gift/charity

मतम्considered/thought (to be)

तेof you/your

कुरुपुङ्गवO bull among the Kurus (best of the Kurus)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kurupuṅgava (honorific addressee, i.e., Bhīṣma)

Vedi (sacrificial altar)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry: among various forms of non-ritual (outside-the-altar) giving, which is truly superior. It sets up Bhīṣma’s guidance that the value of dāna depends on discernment—worthy recipients, right intention, and dharmic context—not merely ritual form.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Yudhiṣṭhira questions the elder authority (addressed as ‘best of the Kurus’) about hierarchies of charitable giving, preparing for a discourse praising excellent gifts and the honoring of exemplary brāhmaṇas.