Shloka 353
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
न हीदृशं पुण्यफलं विचित्रमिह विद्यते । अतः युधिष्ठिर! तुम सारे दानोंको छोड़कर केवल अन्नदान करते रहो। इस संसारमें अन्नदानके समान विचित्र एवं पुण्यदायक दूसरा कोई दान नहीं है
na hīdṛśaṃ puṇyaphalaṃ vicitram iha vidyate | ataḥ yudhiṣṭhira! tvaṃ sarve dānāni tyaktvā kevalam annadānaṃ kurv iti | asmin saṃsāre annadānasamaṃ vicitraṃ puṇyadāyakaṃ ca dānam anyan na vidyate |
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Di dunia ini tiada hasil pahala yang begitu menakjubkan dan luar biasa seperti ini. Maka, wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, ketepikanlah segala pemberian yang lain dan amalkanlah sedekah makanan sahaja. Dalam kehidupan manusia, tiada amal kebajikan yang menyamai memberi makan kepada orang lain—tiada yang seajaib kesannya, tiada yang seberbuah dalam kebajikan.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
That feeding others (annadāna) is the most exceptional and merit-producing form of charity; it directly sustains life and therefore surpasses other gifts in ethical and spiritual value.
Mārkaṇḍeya instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, emphasizing that among many possible acts of giving, the continual practice of donating food is uniquely powerful and should be prioritized.