Shloka 16

गोप्रदान-माहात्म्ये गोलोक-प्रश्नः

Gopradāna-Māhātmya: Inquiry into Goloka

Devanagari script

यम उवाच शृणु तत्त्वेन विप्ररषे प्रदानविधिमुत्तमम्‌ । तिला: परमकं दान पुण्यं चैवेह शाश्वतम्‌

Transliteration

yama uvāca śṛṇu tattvena viprarṣe pradānavidhim uttamam | tilāḥ paramakaṃ dānaṃ puṇyaṃ caiveha śāśvatam ||

Translation

阎摩说道：“噢，婆罗门大圣仙（brahmarṣi），当如实聆听至上的布施法则。施舍芝麻为诸施之最；在此世间，它被视为能生起长久不坏、永不枯竭之福德。”

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्त्वेन: in truth; truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विप्रर्षे: O brahmin-sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रदान-विधिम्: the method/rule of giving
• प्रदान-विधिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदानविधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परमकम्: supreme; highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दानम्: gift; giving
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुण्यम्: merit; virtue
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed; certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• शाश्वतम्: eternal; everlasting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

यम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• viprarṣi (brahmarṣi)
• tila (sesame seeds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yama teaches that correct, truth-aligned giving (pradāna-vidhi) is a key aspect of dharma, and he highlights sesame-seed donation as especially potent, producing enduring merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Yama addresses a brahmarṣi and begins instructing him on the best procedure of charitable giving, introducing sesame-seed donation as preeminent and spiritually fruitful.