Shloka 8

मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा विप्रस्थ दानानि विविधानि समाहित: । मन:समाधिसंयुक्त: सुगतिं प्रतिपद्यते,मनुष्य एकाग्रचित्त होकर सावधान हो ब्राह्मणको यदि नाना प्रकारके दान करे तो वह उत्तम गतिको पाता है

Transliteration

dattvā viprastha dānāni vividhāni samāhitaḥ | manaḥsamādhisaṃyuktaḥ sugatiṃ pratipadyate ||

Translation

Disse Yudhiṣṭhira: “Aquele que, com a mente recolhida e a atenção firme—unido à concentração interior—oferece a um brâmane dádivas de muitos tipos, alcança um destino excelente.”

Word by Word

दत्त्वाhaving given

विप्रस्थto a Brahmin

दानानिgifts, donations

विविधानिvarious, of many kinds

समाहितःcollected, attentive, composed

मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तःendowed with mental concentration

सुगतिम्good state/destination

प्रतिपद्यतेattains, reaches

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brahmin (vipra)

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?

Charity bears its highest fruit when it is performed with mental composure and focused intention. Giving to worthy recipients (here, a Brahmin) while remaining attentive and inwardly steady leads to ‘sugati’—an auspicious spiritual outcome.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks about the results of dāna (gift-giving). He emphasizes not only the act of giving but also the giver’s inner discipline—single-pointed attention and a mind established in concentration.