Mahabharata 3.201.41 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 41
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
धान्यं श्रमेणार्जितवित्तसंचितं विप्रे सुशीले च प्रयच्छते यः । वसुन्धरा तस्य भवेत् सुतुष्टा धारां वसूनां प्रतिमुज्चतीव
dhānyaṃ śrameṇārjitavittasañcitaṃ vipre suśīle ca prayacchate yaḥ | vasundharā tasya bhavet sutuṣṭā dhārāṃ vasūnāṃ pratimuñcatīva ||
มารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า “ผู้ใดมอบธัญญาหารและทรัพย์ที่ตนได้มาด้วยแรงงานและเก็บสะสมไว้ ให้แก่พราหมณ์ผู้มีความประพฤติดี—พระแม่วสุนธราย่อมพอพระทัยยิ่ง ราวกับทรงปล่อยธารแห่งทรัพย์สมบัติให้ไหลหลั่งแก่เขา”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity is most fruitful when it is given from honestly earned, personally labored-for wealth, and directed to a worthy recipient (a virtuous brāhmaṇa). Such giving aligns with dharma and is portrayed as winning the favor of the Earth herself, resulting in prosperity.
Mārkaṇḍeya delivers a moral instruction: he praises the act of donating one’s hard-earned, stored grain and wealth to a well-conducted brāhmaṇa, describing it with a vivid image—Earth (Vasundharā) becomes pleased and seems to pour out a stream of riches in return.
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