Shloka 1
Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla
बी जम अष्टनवतितमोब् ध्याय: तपस्वी सुवर्ण और मनुका संवाद--पुष्प
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ālokadānaṃ nāmaitat kīdṛśaṃ bharatarṣabha | katham etat samutpannaṃ phalaṃ vā tad bravīhi me ||
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Hỡi bậc trượng phu kiệt xuất của dòng Bharata, nghi lễ gọi là ‘bố thí ánh sáng’ (dīpa-dāna, dâng đèn) ấy là thế nào? Phải thực hành ra sao? Nó khởi nguyên từ đâu? Và đem lại quả báo gì? Xin hãy nói cho ta biết.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as something to be learned through inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks a clear account of a charitable rite—its proper method, its origin, and its ethical-spiritual result—showing that merit (puṇya) is tied to informed, purposeful giving.
At the start of the chapter, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an elder/teacher as “bharatarṣabha” and asks for instruction about ālokadāna (lamp-offering): what it is, how it is performed, how it began, and what benefits it yields, setting up a discourse on the greatness of offerings such as light (and, by the chapter heading, related gifts like flowers, incense, and food).