Shloka 25

जनक-राज्ञः मौण्ड्य-परिव्रज्या-विवादः

Janaka’s Renunciation Questioned; Discourse on Dāna and Detachment

Devanagari script

सदैव याचमानेषु तथा दम्भान्वितेषु च । एतेषु दक्षिणा दत्ता दावाग्नाविव दुर्हुतम्‌

Transliteration

sadaiva yācamāneṣu tathā dambhānvitēṣu ca | eteṣu dakṣiṇā dattā dāvāgnāv iva durhutam ||

Translation

当施舍给予那些终日乞求之人，亦给予染着虚伪与矫饰之人时，那布施便如将供献误倾于林野大火之中——徒然被吞噬，不能结成所期的清净与义德之果。

Word by Word

• सदैव: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव

• याचमानेषु: among those who are begging
• याचमानेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याचमान (याच् धातु, शतृ/शानच् वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• दम्भ: with hypocrisy/ostentation
• दम्भ: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अन्वितेषु: among those endowed (with)
• अन्वितेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

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

• एतेषु: among these (people)
• एतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• दक्षिणा: gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्ता: given
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (क्त कृदन्त: दत्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दावाग्नौ: in a forest-fire
• दावाग्नौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दावाग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• इव: like/as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• दुर्हुतम्: ill-offered (oblation); wrongly sacrificed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + हुत (हु धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• अर्जुन (Arjuna)
• दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā, sacrificial/charitable gift)
• दावाग्नि (forest fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity is not judged only by the act of giving; the worthiness and disposition of the recipient matter. Gifts given to habitual beggars or hypocritical showmen are compared to a mis-offering into a forest fire—wasted and spiritually unproductive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna speaks within the Shanti Parva’s ethical discussions, using a vivid simile to question or critique indiscriminate giving. He highlights how donations (dakṣiṇā) can fail to produce dharmic benefit when directed toward recipients marked by constant solicitation or hypocrisy.