Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 11

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)

Devanagari script

पितामहस्य वदत: पुरा देवसमागमे । श्रुतवानस्मि यद्‌ राज॑ंस्तन्मे निगदत: शृणु,राजन! पूर्वकालकी बात है, एक दिन देवताओंकी सभामें ब्रह्माजी एक बात कह रहे थे जिसे मैंने सुना था, उसे बता रहा हूँ, सुनो

Transliteration

pitāmahasya vadataḥ purā devasamagame | śrutavān asmi yad rājan tan me nigadataḥ śṛṇu rājān ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Chyavana: “O hari, noong unang panahon, sa isang kapulungan ng mga diyos, narinig ko ang isang pahayag ng Dakilang Ninuno (Brahmā). Ngayon, O hari, makinig ka habang isinasalaysay ko sa iyo ang mismong aral na iyon.”

Word by Word

• {'pitāmaha': 'the Grandfather

• an epithet of Brahmā', 'vadataḥ': 'while speaking

• of one who is speaking (genitive/ablative sense in context)', 'purā': 'formerly

• in ancient times', 'deva-samāgama': 'gathering/assembly of the gods', 'śrutavān asmi': 'I have heard

• I heard (perfect sense)', 'yad': 'that which

• what', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'tat': 'that (referring to the previously mentioned statement)', 'me': 'by me

• to me', 'nigadataḥ': 'as I relate/tell (it)

• while recounting', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)'}

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Chyavana
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Devas (gods)
• King (Rājan; addressed listener)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse establishes the authority and reliability of the instruction that follows: Chyavana frames his counsel as a remembered teaching originally spoken by Brahmā in a divine assembly, implying it carries weight in matters of dharma and ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Chyavana addresses a king and introduces a traditional account: he recalls hearing Brahmā speak in a gathering of the gods and now begins to narrate that statement to the king as guidance.