Shloka 16

Devanagari script

भैक्ष्येणान्नं समाहृत्य विप्रो वेदपुरस्कृत: । स्वाध्यायनिरते विप्रे दत््तेह सुखमेधते,वेदज्ञ ब्राह्मण भिक्षासे अन्न लाकर यदि स्वाध्याय-परायण विप्रको दान देता है तो इस लोकमें सुखी होता है

Transliteration

bhaikṣyeṇānnaṃ samāhṛtya vipro vedapuraskṛtaḥ | svādhyāyanirate vipre datteha sukham edhate ||

Translation

भैक्ष्येणान्नं समाहृत्य विप्रो वेदपुरस्कृतः। स्वाध्यायनिरते विप्रे दत्त्वेह सुखमेधते॥

Word by Word

भैक्ष्येणby alms/begging

अन्नम्food

समाहृत्यhaving collected/brought together

विप्रःa brahmin

वेद-पुरस्कृतःhaving the Veda in front / guided by the Veda

स्वाध्याय-निरतेin/unto one devoted to self-study (of Veda)

विप्रेin/unto a brahmin

दत्तेgives

इहhere, in this world

सुखम्happiness, comfort

एधतेprospers, increases

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

brāhmaṇa (vipra)

Veda

svādhyāya (Vedic study)

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?

Food obtained through humble alms, when given as charity to a brāhmaṇa devoted to Vedic study, becomes a dharmic gift that yields happiness and well-being in this life; the verse praises supporting learning and spiritual discipline through dāna.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s discourse on dharma and gifts, Yudhiṣṭhira states a specific meritorious act: a Veda-guided brāhmaṇa collects alms and then donates that food to another brāhmaṇa engaged in svādhyāya, describing the worldly fruit of such giving as happiness.