Mahabharata 3.201.73 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 73
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
प्रतिग्रहं गृहीत्वा यः पुनर्ददति साधवे । फलानां फलमश्नाति तदा दत्त्वा च भारत
pratigrahaṃ gṛhītvā yaḥ punar dadāti sādhave | phalānāṃ phalam aśnāti tadā dattvā ca bhārata ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Aquele que, tendo aceitado uma dádiva, volta a oferecê-la a uma pessoa digna e virtuosa, participa do ‘fruto dos frutos’—o mérito supremo—, ó Bhārata. Assim, mesmo após receber, ao doar novamente com o espírito correto e ao destinatário adequado, alcança-se o resultado mais elevado da caridade.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the highest merit of charity is not merely in receiving or possessing gifts, but in re-directing what one has received toward a truly worthy person. Re-giving (punar-dāna) transforms acceptance into a superior act of dharma, yielding the ‘fruit of fruits’—the best spiritual result.
Yudhiṣṭhira is articulating a principle of dāna-dharma: if someone accepts a donation and then offers it onward to a virtuous recipient, that person gains exceptional merit. The statement functions as ethical instruction within a broader discussion on gifts, merit, and proper conduct.
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