Shloka 3
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
दत्तस्येह फलं कि च वेदानां धारणे च किम् | अध्यापने फलं॑ कि च सर्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्,दान देने, वेदोंको धारण करने और उन्हें पढ़ानेका क्या फल होता है? यह सब मैं जानना चाहता हूँ
dattasyeha phalaṃ kiṃ ca vedānāṃ dhāraṇe ca kim | adhyāpane phalaṃ kiṃ ca sarvam icchāmi veditum ||
दत्तस्येह फलं किं च वेदानां धारणे च किम्। अध्यापने फलं किं च सर्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्॥
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks to understand the comparative and ethical ‘phala’ (results) of three pillars of righteous life—giving (dāna), preserving sacred knowledge (Veda-dhāraṇa), and transmitting it responsibly (adhyāpana).
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Yudhiṣṭhira, as a conscientious king, asks for guidance about the outcomes of charitable giving and Vedic learning/teaching, preparing the ground for an authoritative response on duties and merits.