Shloka 3

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

गार्हस्थ्ये5प्यथवा बाल्ये यौवने स्थविरे5पि वा । यथा फलं समश्नाति तथा त्वं कथयस्व मे,“मनुष्य बाल्यावस्था या गृहस्थाश्रममें, जवानीमें अथवा बुढ़ापेमें दान देनेसे जैसा फल पाता है, उसका मुझसे वर्णन कीजिये”

Transliteration

gārhasthye ’py athavā bālye yauvane sthavire ’pi vā | yathā phalaṃ samaśnāti tathā tvaṃ kathayasva me ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“无论是在居士之期，或在童年、青年，乃至老年——请告诉我，人于各个阶段如何领受（布施之）果报；如其亲身所受，详为我说。”

Word by Word

गार्हस्थ्येin householdership (gṛhastha stage)

अपिalso/even

अथवाor

बाल्येin childhood

यौवनेin youth

स्थविरेin old age (as an old person)

अपिalso/even

वाor

यथाas/according to how

फलम्fruit/result

समश्नातिobtains/enjoys (lit. eats up fully)

तथाso/in that manner

त्वम्you

कथयस्वtell/describe

मेto me

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry into karma-phala: the fruits of charity (dāna) are to be understood in relation to one’s life-stage—childhood, youth, householder life, and old age—highlighting that dharmic acts are evaluated with attention to context and capacity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a question is posed requesting an explanation of how the results of giving are experienced when performed at different ages and within the householder condition, setting up a discussion on dāna and its fruits.