Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 23

Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share

Devanagari script

गन्धमाल्यप्रदानेन कीर्तिर्भवति पुष्कला । केशश्मश्रु धारयतामग्रया भवति संतति:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

gandhamālyapradānena kīrtir bhavati puṣkalā |

keśaśmaśru dhārayatām agrayā bhavati santatiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Ai bố thí hương thơm và vòng hoa thì được danh tiếng dồi dào. Còn những người giữ tóc và râu (giữ đúng dấu hiệu và kỷ luật của địa vị mình) thì sẽ có con cháu ưu tú.

Word by Word

• गन्ध: fragrance, perfume
• गन्ध: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माल्य: garland
• माल्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रदानेन: by (the act of) giving, through donation
• प्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कीर्तिः: fame, renown
• कीर्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: arises, becomes, is obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुष्कला: abundant, great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• केश: hair (of the head)
• केश: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• श्मश्रु: beard/moustache (facial hair)
• श्मश्रु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मश्रु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धारयताम्: of those who wear/maintain
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada, Present active participial base used as genitive plural of agent: 'of those who bear/maintain'

• अग्रया: excellent, foremost (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भवति: arises, becomes, is obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संततिः: progeny, offspring
• संततिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• perfume (gandha)
• flower-garland (mālya)
• hair (keśa)
• beard/moustache (śmaśru)
• fame (kīrti)
• progeny (santati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links specific acts of dharmic giving and disciplined personal conduct with corresponding fruits: donating perfumes and garlands yields widespread good reputation, and maintaining prescribed bodily marks (hair and beard) is associated with the blessing of excellent offspring—emphasizing that outward acts and self-regulation, when aligned with dharma, bear social and familial merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and gifts, Vaiśampāyana continues enumerating the results (phala) of particular donations and observances, presenting a concise merit-statement that connects offerings used in worship and hospitality with fame, and disciplined appearance with prosperity of lineage.