Shloka 10

Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti

Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order

Devanagari script

दीनश्न याचते चायमल्पेनापि हि तुष्यति । इति दद्याद्‌ दरिद्राय कारुण्यादिति सर्वथा

Transliteration

dīnaś ca yācate cāyam alpenāpi hi tuṣyati | iti dadyād daridrāya kāruṇyād iti sarvathā ||

Translation

毗湿摩教诲道：当贫困困厄之人前来乞求时，应以悲悯而施，心念：“此人可怜，极其匮乏，正向我求乞；纵然少许，也足以使他满足。”故对穷乏者之布施，当处处出于怜悯，而非出于骄矜或算计。

Word by Word

• दीनः: poor, wretched
• दीनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• याचते: begs, requests
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

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

• अल्पेन: with a little (gift)
• अल्पेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• तुष्यति: is satisfied
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus (thinking/quoting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• दद्यात्: one should give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दरिद्राय: to a poor man
• दरिद्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कारुण्यात्: out of compassion
• कारुण्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• सर्वथा: in every way, certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a poor beggar (daridra/dīna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Give charity to the poor out of compassion, recognizing that even a small gift can bring relief; the motive should be mercy rather than display or self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing on dharma, describes the proper inner attitude of a donor when approached by a needy beggar and urges giving to the destitute as a compassionate duty.