Shloka 1

Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna

Utility Gifts

Devanagari script

एकषष्टितमो< ध्याय: राजाके लिये यज्ञ

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—dānaṁ yajñaḥ kriyā ceha kiṁsvit pretya mahāphalam | kasya jyāyaḥ phalaṁ prokte kīdṛśebhyaḥ kathaṁ kadā ||

Translation

尤提士提罗说道：“在布施与祭祀之间——乃至在此世一切法行之中——哪一种在死后结得最大果报？二者之中，哪一种的结果被宣说为更胜？应当向何等婆罗门施与，何时施与，如何施与？又当以何种方式、在何时举行祭祀？我愿如实了知此理。噢，博学之士，请为我详说关于布施之法。”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दानम्: gift; giving (charity)
• दानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञः: sacrifice; ritual
• यज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रिया: religious act; rite; performance
• क्रिया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• इह: here; in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• स्वित्: indeed? (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वित्

• प्रेत्य: having departed; after death
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-इ
• Form: Gerund (Absolutive)

• महाफलम्: great-fruited; yielding great result
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाफल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कस्य: of which? of whom?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• ज्यायः: greater; superior
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्यायस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit; result
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• प्रोक्तम्: said; declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कीदृशेभ्यः: to what kind (of persons)?
• कीदृशेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative/Ablative, Plural

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• कदा: when?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brāhmaṇas
• Dāna (charity)
• Yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: how to evaluate the spiritual efficacy of charity (dāna) versus sacrifice (yajña), and what proper criteria (recipient, time, manner) make these acts ethically and religiously fruitful, especially with regard to posthumous merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the opening of the chapter, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches a learned authority (contextually Bhīṣma in the Anuśāsana Parva) and asks for a detailed exposition on the comparative merits of dāna and yajña and the correct rules for giving and performing rites.