Shloka 30
कालनियमः शोकशमनं च
Kāla as Regulator; Pacification of Grief
अनर्हते यद् ददाति न ददाति यदर्हते । अहनिहपिरिज्ञानाद दानधर्मोडपि दुष्कर:,“लोग अधिकारीको धन नहीं देते और अनधिकारीको दे डालते हैं, योग्य-अयोग्य पात्रका ज्ञान न होनेसे दानधर्मका सम्पादन भी बहुत कठिन है
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: anarhate yad dadāti na dadāti yad arhate | ahaniha parijñānād dāna-dharmo 'pi duṣkaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Manusia memberi kepada yang tidak layak, dan tidak memberi kepada yang layak. Kerana di dunia ini tiada ketajaman pertimbangan dari hari ke hari tentang siapa yang patut dan siapa yang tidak, maka amalan dharma memberi pun menjadi sukar dilaksanakan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity is not merely the act of giving; it requires discernment of the recipient’s worthiness. Without knowing who truly deserves support, giving can become ethically confused—misdirected generosity and neglected deservingness both undermine dāna as dharma.
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana reports a moral observation about human conduct: people often reverse proper standards—giving where it should not be given and withholding where it should—showing why practicing righteous charity is challenging in ordinary life.