Shloka 5
Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti
Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order
धर्मादर्थाद् भयात् कामात् कारुण्यादिति भारत | दानं पञठ्चविध॑ ज्ञेयं कारणैर्यर्निबोध तत्
dharmād arthād bhayāt kāmāt kāruṇyād iti bhārata | dānaṃ pañcavidhaṃ jñeyaṃ kāraṇair yan nibodha tat ||
毗湿摩说道：“婆罗多啊，布施（dāna）当知为五种：由法（dharma）所驱使，由求财求利所驱使，由恐惧所驱使，由欲望所驱使，以及由悲悯所驱使。你当从我处明了这些不同的动机。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma classifies charity by its underlying motive: giving from duty (dharma), from self-interest (artha), from fear (bhaya), from desire (kāma), or from compassion (kāruṇya). The verse frames ethical evaluation of dāna by examining why one gives, not merely what is given.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and conduct. Here he begins a focused teaching on dāna, introducing a fivefold typology of giving based on the donor’s motive, preparing the listener for further explanation of each cause.