Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 22

Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share

Devanagari script

दीपालोक प्रदानेन चक्षुष्मान्‌ भवते नर: । प्रेक्षणीयप्रदानेन स्मृतिं मेधां च विन्दति

Transliteration

dīpāloka-pradānena cakṣuṣmān bhavate naraḥ | prekṣaṇīya-pradānena smṛtiṁ medhāṁ ca vindati ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：施舍灯盏之光者，得清明健全之目。施舍可观之物——能悦目而提升心神之物——则得良忆与敏慧。

Word by Word

• दीप-आलोक-प्रदानेन: by the giving of lamp-light
• दीप-आलोक-प्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप + आलोक + प्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• चक्षुष्मान्: possessed of good eyesight
• चक्षुष्मान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्षुष्मत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवते: becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेक्षणीय-प्रदानेन: by the giving of things worth seeing (pleasant/beautiful objects)
• प्रेक्षणीय-प्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेक्षणीय + प्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• स्मृतिम्: memory
• स्मृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मेधाम्: intelligence
• मेधाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• विन्दति: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• dīpa (lamp)
• āloka (light/illumination)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that specific charitable acts yield corresponding benefits: donating lamplight supports clear vision, and donating worthy, pleasing objects supports mental clarity—memory (smṛti) and intelligence (medhā). It promotes dāna as a practical dharmic discipline that nurtures both body and mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is reciting a didactic passage in the Anuśāsana Parva that catalogs the fruits of different kinds of gifts. Here he highlights the merit and beneficial results of offering illumination and visually edifying items.