Shloka 32
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
Devanagari script
न चोषरां न निर्दग्धां महीं दद्यात् कथंचन
Transliteration
na coṣarāṃ na nirdagdhāṃ mahīṃ dadyāt kathaṃcana
Translation
భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఎట్టి పరిస్థితుల్లోనూ ఉప్పుమట్టి కలిగిన బంజరు భూమిని గాని, కాలిపోయి పంటలేనిదైన భూమిని గాని దానం చేయరాదు।
Word by Word
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
चand/also
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
उषराम्barren, saline (land)
उषराम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootउषरा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
निर्दग्धाम्burnt up, scorched
निर्दग्धाम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर्दग्ध
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
महीम्earth, land
महीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमही
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
दद्यात्should give
दद्यात्:
TypeVerb
Rootदा
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
कथंचनin any way; ever (at all)
कथंचन:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथंचन
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaM
mahī (land/earth)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
A gift must be genuinely beneficial and honest in intent; donating worthless or harmful land (saline or burnt) is not righteous charity but a breach of dāna-dharma.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (especially rules of giving), he specifies what should not be donated, warning against offering land that cannot sustain life or livelihood.