Shloka 25

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

आकल्प: परिचर्या च गात्रसंवाहनानि च । अन्नैकैकं नृपश्रेष्ठ गोदानाद्धयतिरिच्यते,नृपश्रेष्ठ! देवविग्रहोंपर चढ़े हुए चन्दन-पुष्प आदिको यथासमय उतारना, ब्राह्मणोंकी जूठन साफ करना, उन्हें चन्दन-माला आदिसे अलंकृत करना, उनकी सेवा-पूजा करना और उनके पैर आदि अंगोंको दबाना, इनमेंसे एक-एक कार्य गोदानसे भी अधिक महत्त्व रखता है

Transliteration

ākalpaḥ paricaryā ca gātrasaṃvāhanāni ca | annaikaikaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭha godānādd hy atiricyate ||

Translation

Wika ni Mārkaṇḍeya: “O pinuno ng mga tao, kahit isang gawa lamang—tulad ng masusing personal na paglilingkod, wastong pag-aasikaso, o pagmamasahe sa mga sangkap (ng karapat-dapat)—ay humihigit sa gantimpala ng pag-aalay ng isang baka. Ang mapagpakumbaba at napapanahong paglilingkod na may paggalang ay mas mabigat kaysa sa malalaking handog, sapagkat tuwirang pinararangalan at sinusuportahan nito ang mga nagtataglay ng dharma.”

Word by Word

आकल्पःproper arrangement/attentive service (as prescribed)

परिचर्याattendance, service

चand

गात्रसंवाहनानिmassaging of the limbs

चand

अन्नैकैकम्each single (act) of food-giving (i.e., each one among these acts)

नृपश्रेष्ठO best of kings

गोदानात्than a gift of cows

हिindeed, for

अतिरिच्यतेis surpassed/exceeded

नृपश्रेष्ठO best of kings

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

nṛpaśreṣṭha (the king addressed)

go-dāna (cow-gift)

Character Dynamics

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?

That humble, direct service—attending properly, caring for the body, and devoted personal assistance to the worthy—can yield greater spiritual merit than prestigious gifts like cow-donation, because it expresses reverence and sustains dharma in practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a king and instructs him on comparative merit: he elevates concrete acts of service (paricaryā, saṃvāhana) above celebrated acts of charity (go-dāna), emphasizing lived devotion and ethical conduct.