Mahabharata 3.201.7 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

गुरौ चानृतिके पापे कृतघ्ने ग्रामयाजके । वेदविक्रयिणे दत्तं तथा वृषलयाजके

Transliteration

gurau cānṛtike pāpe kṛtaghne grāmayājake | vedavikrayiṇe dattaṃ tathā vṛṣalayājake ||

Translation

جو گُرو فریب کار، گناہگار اور جھوٹا ہو؛ جو کِرتَغن (ناشکرا) ہو؛ جو گرام-یاجک (اجرت کے لیے رسومات کرانے والا) ہو؛ جو وید کو بیچنے والا ہو؛ اور اسی طرح جو وِرشَل-یاجک (وِرشَلوں کے لیے یاجن کرنے والا) ہو—ایسوں کو دیا گیا دان پاکیزہ پُنّیہ کا پھل نہیں دیتا۔

Word by Word

• गुरौ: in/with the teacher
• गुरौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अनृतिके: in/with a liar (female)/false person
• अनृतिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृतिका
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पापे: in/with a sinful (person)
• पापे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृतघ्ने: in/with an ungrateful person
• कृतघ्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ग्रामयाजके: in/with a village-priest (one who officiates for a village)
• ग्रामयाजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रामयाजक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वेदविक्रयिणे: to a seller of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयिणे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदविक्रयिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दत्तम्: given (a gift)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/so also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• वृषलयाजके: in/with one who officiates for a śūdra (vṛṣala-priest)
• वृषलयाजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषलयाजक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• guru (teacher)
• grāmayājaka (village priest)
• vedavikrayin (seller of Veda)
• vṛṣalayājaka (priest officiating for vṛṣalas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity is not judged only by the act of giving; the recipient’s truthfulness, gratitude, and adherence to dharma matter. Giving to deceitful, sinful, ungrateful, or professionally/ritually compromised recipients is portrayed as morally flawed and less fruitful in merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing his listeners on dharmic standards, specifically identifying categories of recipients considered unworthy for dāna. The verse functions as a normative warning within a broader discourse on righteous conduct.