Shloka 3
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
दत्तस्येह फलं कि च वेदानां धारणे च किम् | अध्यापने फलं॑ कि च सर्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्,दान देने, वेदोंको धारण करने और उन्हें पढ़ानेका क्या फल होता है? यह सब मैं जानना चाहता हूँ
dattasyeha phalaṃ kiṃ ca vedānāṃ dhāraṇe ca kim | adhyāpane phalaṃ kiṃ ca sarvam icchāmi veditum ||
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Việc bố thí (dāna) ở đời này cho quả báo gì? Và việc ghi nhớ, gìn giữ các Veda cho quả báo gì? Việc truyền dạy chúng cho quả báo gì? Tất cả những điều ấy, ta muốn được biết.”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks to understand the comparative and ethical ‘phala’ (results) of three pillars of righteous life—giving (dāna), preserving sacred knowledge (Veda-dhāraṇa), and transmitting it responsibly (adhyāpana).
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Yudhiṣṭhira, as a conscientious king, asks for guidance about the outcomes of charitable giving and Vedic learning/teaching, preparing the ground for an authoritative response on duties and merits.