Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 74 Shloka 41 - Mahabharata | Tamil | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 41

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

तिलालाभे तु यो दद्याज्जलधेनुं यतव्रत: । स कामप्रवहां शीतां नदीमेतामुपाश्ुते

Transliteration

tilālābhe tu yo dadyāj jaladhenuṃ yatavrataḥ | sa kāmapravahāṃ śītāṃ nadīm etām upāśnute ||

Translation

எள் கிடைக்காதபோது விரதமும் ஒழுங்கும் உடையவன் நீரால் அமைந்த தான-பசுவை அளித்தால், விரும்பியவற்றை ஓடச்செய்யும் இந்தக் குளிர்ந்த நதியின் அருகில் தங்கி இன்பம் அனுபவிப்பான்.

Word by Word

तिलालाभेin the non-obtaining of sesame (i.e., when sesame is unavailable)

तुbut/indeed

यःwho

दद्यात्should give

जलधेनुम्a water-cow (a cow-shaped water-donation)

यतव्रतःone of restrained vows; self-controlled

सःhe

कामप्रवहाम्carrying (fulfilling) desired objects

शीताम्cool

नदीम्river

एताम्this

उपाश्नुतेenjoys/attains

Speaker

नाचिकेत उवाच

Characters & Entities

न

नाचिकेत (Nāciketa)

ज

जलधेनु (jaladhenu, ‘water-cow’ gift)

न

नदी (a cool river described as kāmapravahā)

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?

When a standard offering (here, sesame) is unavailable, one should still uphold dharma through an appropriate substitute gift—given with discipline and vow-observance. Such sincere charity bears a fitting reward, symbolized by access to a cool, wish-fulfilling river.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nāciketa describes the merit (phala) of a specific charitable act: donating a jaladhenu. The verse presents this act as leading the donor to a pleasant, cool river that ‘brings’ desired enjoyments—an imagistic way of stating the auspicious results of dharmic giving.