Shloka 25

जनक-राज्ञः मौण्ड्य-परिव्रज्या-विवादः

Janaka’s Renunciation Questioned; Discourse on Dāna and Detachment

Devanagari script

सदैव याचमानेषु तथा दम्भान्वितेषु च । एतेषु दक्षिणा दत्ता दावाग्नाविव दुर्हुतम्‌

Transliteration

sadaiva yācamāneṣu tathā dambhānvitēṣu ca | eteṣu dakṣiṇā dattā dāvāgnāv iva durhutam ||

Translation

Khi bố thí cho những kẻ cứ mãi đi xin, và cả cho những người vướng thói giả dối, phô trương, thì sự bố thí ấy giống như lễ vật rót vụng vào đám cháy rừng—bị nuốt trọn mà không sinh ra quả lành như đạo lý mong cầu.

Word by Word

• सदैव: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव

• याचमानेषु: among those who are begging
• याचमानेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याचमान (याच् धातु, शतृ/शानच् वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

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

• दम्भ: with hypocrisy/ostentation
• दम्भ: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अन्वितेषु: among those endowed (with)
• अन्वितेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

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

• एतेषु: among these (people)
• एतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• दक्षिणा: gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्ता: given
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (क्त कृदन्त: दत्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दावाग्नौ: in a forest-fire
• दावाग्नौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दावाग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• इव: like/as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• दुर्हुतम्: ill-offered (oblation); wrongly sacrificed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + हुत (हु धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• अर्जुन (Arjuna)
• दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā, sacrificial/charitable gift)
• दावाग्नि (forest fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity is not judged only by the act of giving; the worthiness and disposition of the recipient matter. Gifts given to habitual beggars or hypocritical showmen are compared to a mis-offering into a forest fire—wasted and spiritually unproductive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna speaks within the Shanti Parva’s ethical discussions, using a vivid simile to question or critique indiscriminate giving. He highlights how donations (dakṣiṇā) can fail to produce dharmic benefit when directed toward recipients marked by constant solicitation or hypocrisy.