Shloka 3
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
गार्हस्थ्ये5प्यथवा बाल्ये यौवने स्थविरे5पि वा । यथा फलं समश्नाति तथा त्वं कथयस्व मे,“मनुष्य बाल्यावस्था या गृहस्थाश्रममें, जवानीमें अथवा बुढ़ापेमें दान देनेसे जैसा फल पाता है, उसका मुझसे वर्णन कीजिये”
gārhasthye ’py athavā bālye yauvane sthavire ’pi vā | yathā phalaṃ samaśnāti tathā tvaṃ kathayasva me ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Dù ở giai đoạn gia chủ, hay trong tuổi thơ, tuổi trẻ, thậm chí tuổi già—hãy nói cho ta biết con người thọ hưởng quả (của bố thí) ra sao trong từng trường hợp; hãy thuật lại kết quả đúng như điều người ta trực nghiệm.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry into karma-phala: the fruits of charity (dāna) are to be understood in relation to one’s life-stage—childhood, youth, householder life, and old age—highlighting that dharmic acts are evaluated with attention to context and capacity.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a question is posed requesting an explanation of how the results of giving are experienced when performed at different ages and within the householder condition, setting up a discussion on dāna and its fruits.