Mahabharata 3.201.326 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 326

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

दातारं हानुगच्छन्ति सर्वे कामाभिवाज्छिता: । जो दिद्वान्‌ ब्राह्मणको भूमिदान करता है, उस दाताके पास सभी मनोवाजञ्छित भोग स्वतः आ जाते हैं

Transliteration

dātāraṃ hānugacchanti sarve kāmābhivāñchitāḥ | yo vidvān brāhmaṇako bhūmidāna kartā hai, us dātāke pāsa sabhī manovāñchita bhoga svataḥ ā jāte haiṃ |

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Mọi hưởng thụ như ý đều theo sau người bố thí.” Với bậc thí chủ có trí—nhất là người hiến đất cho Bà-la-môn—mọi an lạc và phú quý mà lòng mong ước sẽ tự tìm đến người ấy.

Word by Word

• दातारम्: the giver (donor)
• दातारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• अनुगच्छन्ति: follow/come after
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-गम्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• काम: desires
• काम: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिवाञ्छिताः: desired/wished for
• अभिवाञ्छिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-वा॒ञ्छित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• brāhmaṇa
• bhūmidāna (gift of land)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that generosity—especially the meritorious gift of land to a worthy brāhmaṇa—draws prosperity and desired outcomes to the donor, presenting dāna as a central practice of dharma with tangible and moral fruits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is instructing his listeners on the fruits of charitable giving, praising the donor and highlighting bhūmidāna as a particularly powerful form of generosity within the dharma-discourse of the Vana Parva.