Shloka 25

Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share

Devanagari script

दासीदासमलड्कारान्‌ क्षेत्राणि च गृहाणि च । ब्रह्मदेयां सुतां दत्त्वा प्राप्नोति मनुजर्षभ

Transliteration

dāsīdāsam alaṅkārān kṣetrāṇi ca gṛhāṇi ca | brahmadeyāṃ sutāṃ dattvā prāpnoti manujarṣabha ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «О бык среди людей, тот, кто отдаёт свою дочь как дар Брахмы (Brahma-dāna), то есть в брахманской форме брака достойному жениху, обретает благополучие: слуг и служанок, украшения, поля и дома».

Word by Word

• दासी: female slave/maidservant
• दासी: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दासम्: male slave/servant
• दासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अलङ्कारान्: ornaments
• अलङ्कारान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलङ्कार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• क्षेत्राणि: fields/lands
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गृहाणि: houses
• गृहाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ब्रह्मदेयाम्: as a brahma-gift (given to a Brahmin/according to Brahma-rite)
• ब्रह्मदेयाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मदेया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• प्राप्नोति: attains/obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मनुजर्षभः: best of men (O bull among men)
• मनुजर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुजर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• sutā (daughter)
• dāsī (female servant)
• dāsa (male servant)
• alaṅkāra (ornaments)
• kṣetra (fields)
• gṛha (houses)
• brahmadeya (Brahma-gift / Brahma marriage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that giving one’s daughter in the Brahma form of marriage—understood as a righteous, gift-based union to a worthy groom—constitutes dharmic dāna and is said to yield prosperity and social stability as its fruit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing the rewards (phala) associated with specific dharmic acts. Here he states that the act of offering a daughter as a brahmadeya (Brahma-gift) leads to the acquisition of wealth and household resources such as servants, ornaments, land, and homes.