Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 256

Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)

Devanagari script

प्रीत्यर्थ तव चैतन्मे स्वर्गसंदर्शनं कृतम्‌ । फिर जब मैं तुम्हारा धन लुटाने लगा

Transliteration

prītyarthaṁ tava caitanmē svargasaṁdarśanaṁ kṛtam |

Translation

恰耶瓦那说道：“此天界之景，唯为取悦于你而示现。即便当我开始夺取你的财物之时，你也未为忿怒所制。见你如此，我对你大为欢喜。故而，大王，人中之主，我使你与王后同在此林中得见天界，所为者唯在令你心满意足。你当明知：这一切作为，其旨不过是使你欢悦而已。”

Word by Word

• प्रीत्यर्थम्: for the sake of pleasure/satisfaction
• प्रीत्यर्थम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रीति + अर्थ
• Form: अव्यय (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजनार्थे)

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• मे: my / of me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)

• स्वर्गसंदर्शनम्: the showing/vision of heaven
• स्वर्गसंदर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + संदर्शन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• कृतम्: done / made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि/कृत), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Chyavana (Cyavana)
• svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True virtue is shown by self-mastery: even when provoked by loss or insult, one should not be ruled by anger. Such forbearance and steadiness in dharma become the basis for divine favor and higher reward.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sage Chyavana explains that he deliberately arranged a situation that could provoke the king—such as the taking away of wealth—to test his temperament. Because the king remained unangered, Chyavana was pleased and therefore granted him (with his wife) a vision of heaven in the forest, clarifying that the entire sequence was meant to satisfy and honor him.