Mahabharata — Vana Parva, Shloka 31

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अनड्वाहं तु यो दद्याद्‌ बलवन्तं धुरंधरम्‌

Transliteration

anaḍvāhaṃ tu yo dadyād balavantaṃ dhuraṃdharam

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya disse: “Quem dá um forte boi de tração — capaz de suportar o jugo e carregar fardos — alcança grande mérito.”

Word by Word

• अनड्वाहम्: a bull/ox (draught-bull)
• अनड्वाहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनड्वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दद्यात्: should give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बलवन्तम्: strong
• बलवन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धुरंधरम्: fit for bearing the yoke/burden; a good draught-animal
• धुरंधरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धुरंधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• draught-bull (anaḍvāha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as dharma: giving should be meaningful and beneficial. Donating a strong, work-capable bull symbolizes supporting agriculture, livelihood, and righteous household life—charity that sustains society earns special merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is describing the fruits of specific acts of charity. Here he singles out the donation of a powerful draught-bull—an economically and ritually significant gift—as an example of high-value, socially sustaining generosity.