Shloka 52

दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च

Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food

Devanagari script

इष्टवा क्रतुशतेनाथ महता दक्षिणावता । मघवा वागििदां श्रेष्ठ पप्रच्छेदं बृहस्पतिम्‌

Transliteration

iṣṭvā kratuśatena atha mahatā dakṣiṇāvatā | maghavā vāgidāṁ śreṣṭhaṁ papracchedam bṛhaspatim ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Sau khi cử hành một trăm đại tế lễ, mỗi lễ đều kèm theo những lễ vật dakṣiṇā dồi dào và xứng đáng, Maghavān (Indra) đến gặp Bṛhaspati—bậc đứng đầu trong hàng người tinh thông lời nói—và hỏi ngài về việc ấy như sau.

Word by Word

• इष्ट्वा: having performed (sacrificed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• क्रतुशतेन: with a hundred sacrifices
• क्रतुशतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु-शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• महता: great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दक्षिणावत: endowed with sacrificial fees (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणावत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणावत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मघवा: Maghavān (Indra)
• मघवा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघवन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाग्विदाम्: of the knowers of speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्-विद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बृहस्पतिम्: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Indra (Maghavān)
• Bṛhaspati

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual achievement and power are not presented as self-sufficient; even Indra, after immense sacrificial merit, turns to a true teacher for ethical clarity. The verse highlights humility before wisdom and the primacy of right counsel in dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a frame-story: Indra has completed a hundred richly endowed sacrifices and then approaches Bṛhaspati, the gods’ preceptor, to ask a specific question—setting up Bṛhaspati’s forthcoming instruction.