Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच दानं यज्ञक्रिया चेह किं स्वित्प्रेत्य महाफलम् कस्य ज्यायः फलं प्रोक्तं कीदृशेभ्यः कथं कदा
AI Translation: Yudhiṣṭhira said: What is the great fruit of giving and performing sacrifices here after death? What is the greatest fruit said to be for whom, in what way, when?
Supplementary Passages:
13.60.1 After 1, T2 ins.: *334 नित्यानुष्ठानयुक्ताश्चेत्प्रतिगृह्णन्ति साधवः
एतदिच्छामि विज्ञातुं याथातथ्येन भारत विद्वञ्जिज्ञासमानाय दानधर्मान्प्रचक्ष्व मे
AI Translation: I wish to know this in truth, O descendant of Bharata. O learned one, for one who is inquiring, please explain to me the duties of charity.
अन्तर्वेद्यां च यद्दत्तं श्रद्धया चानृशंस्यतः किं स्विन्निःश्रेयसं तात तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Do you tell me, O grandfather, what brings on the highest reward, viz., gifts made from the sacrificial platform or those made out of that place?
भीष्म उवाच रौद्रं कर्म क्षत्रियस्य सततं तात वर्तते तस्य वैतानिकं कर्म दानं चैवेह पावनम्
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said O son, a Kshatriya is generally engaged in decds of fierceness. In his case, sacrifices and gifts, are considered as cleansing or sanctifying him.
न तु पापकृतां राज्ञां प्रतिगृह्णन्ति साधवः एतस्मात्कारणाद्यज्ञैर्यजेद्राजाप्तदक्षिणैः
M. N. Dutt: The good and righteous, do not accept the gifts of persons of the royal order, who perpetrate sinful deeds. Therefore, the king should celebrate sacrifices with profuse gifts in the form of Dakshina.
Supplementary Passages:
13.60.5 After 5a, S ins.: *335 याजका द्विजसत्तमाः धने सत्यप्रदातॄणां
अथ चेत्प्रतिगृह्णीयुर्दद्यादहरहर्नृपः श्रद्धामास्थाय परमां पावनं ह्येतदुत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: If the good and righteous would accept the gifts made to them, the Kshatriya, O king, should continually make gifts with devotion and faith to them. Gifts yield great merit, and are highly cleansing.
ब्राह्मणांस्तर्पयेद्द्रव्यैस्ततो यज्ञे यतव्रतः मैत्रान्साधून्वेदविदः शीलवृत्ततपोन्वितान्
M. N. Dutt: Observing vows, one should celebrate sacrifices and please with wealth, such Brahmanas as are friends of all creatures, endued with righteousness, conversant of the Vedas, and pre-eminent for acts, conduct and penances.
यत्ते तेन करिष्यन्ति कृतं तेन भविष्यति यज्ञान्साधय साधुभ्यः स्वाद्वन्नान्दक्षिणावतः
M. N. Dutt: If such Brahmanas do not accept your gifts, no merit will become yours. Do you celebrate sacrifices with profuse Dakshina, and make gifts of good and agreeable food to the righteous.
इष्टं दत्तं च मन्येथा आत्मानं दानकर्मणा पूजयेथा यायजूकांस्तवाप्यंशो भवेद्यथा
M. N. Dutt: By making an act of gift you should consider yourself as performing a sacrifice. You should, with gifts, worship those Brahmanas who perform sacrifices. By doing this you will acquire a share in the merits of those sacrifices of theirs.
Supplementary Passages:
13.60.9 T1.3 G M2 ins. after 9: T2 after 9abc: M1.3.4 after the second occurrence of 10ab: *336 विद्वद्भ्यः संप्रदानेन तत्राप्यंशोऽस्य पूजया यज्वभ्यश्चाथ विद्वद्भ्यो दत्त्वा लोकं प्रदापयेत् प्रदद्याज्ज्ञानदातॄणां ज्ञानदानांशभाग्भवेत्
प्रजावतो भरेथाश्च ब्राह्मणान्बहुभारिणः प्रजावांस्तेन भवति यथा जनयिता तथा
M. N. Dutt: You should support such Brahmanas as have children and as are capable of sending people to heaven. By acting thus, you are sure to get a large progeny-in fact, as large a progeny as the Prajapati himself.
यावतो वै साधुधर्मान्सन्तः संवर्तयन्त्युत सर्वे ते चापि भर्तव्या नरा ये बहुभारिणः
M. N. Dutt: The righteous support and advance the cause of virtue. One should, by giving up his all, support such men as also those who do good to all creatures.
समृद्धः संप्रयच्छस्व ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिर धेनूरनडुहोऽन्नानि च्छत्रं वासांस्युपानहौ
M. N. Dutt: Yourself being rich, do you, Yudhishthira, make gifts to Brahmans of kine and bullocks and food and umbrellas and robes and sandals or shoes.
आज्यानि यजमानेभ्यस्तथान्नाद्यानि भारत अश्ववन्ति च यानानि वेश्मानि शयनानि च
M. N. Dutt: Do you give to sacrificing Brahmanas clarified butter as also food, and cars and vehicles with horses harnessed thereto, and dwelling houses and mansions and beds.
एते देया व्युष्टिमन्तो लघूपायाश्च भारत अजुगुप्सांश्च विज्ञाय ब्राह्मणान्वृत्तिकर्शितान्
M. N. Dutt: Such gifts yield prosperity and affluence to the giver, and are considered as pure, O Bharata. Those Brahmanas who are not censurable for anything they do, and who have no means of support assigned to them, should be found out.
उपच्छन्नं प्रकाशं वा वृत्त्या तान्प्रतिपादय राजसूयाश्वमेधाभ्यां श्रेयस्तत्क्षत्रियान्प्रति
M. N. Dutt: Covertly or publicly, do you maintain such Brahmanas by giving to them the means of support. Such conduct always gives higher benefit to Kshatriyas than the Rajasuya and the Horse-Sacrifices.
एवं पापैर्विमुक्तस्त्वं पूतः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि स्रंसयित्वा पुनः कोशं यद्राष्ट्रं पालयिष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Purged off of sin, you are sure of attaining to Heaven. Filling your treasury, you should do good to your kingdom.
ततश्च ब्रह्मभूयस्त्वमवाप्स्यसि धनानि च आत्मनश्च परेषां च वृत्तिं संरक्ष भारत
M. N. Dutt: By such conduct you are sure to acquire immense riches, and become a Brahman (in your next life). Do you, O Bharata, protect your own means as also the means of others people's livelihood.
पुत्रवच्चापि भृत्यान्स्वान्प्रजाश्च परिपालय योगक्षेमश्च ते नित्यं ब्राह्मणेष्वस्तु भारत
M. N. Dutt: Do you support your servants as your own children. Do you, O Bharata, protect the Brahmanas in the enjoyment of what they have and make gifts, to them of such articles as they have not.
Supplementary Passages:
13.60.18 After 18, N (D4.6 after 17) ins.: *337 तदर्थं जीवितं तेऽस्तु मा तेभ्योऽप्रतिपालनम् अनर्थो ब्राह्मणस्यैष यद्वित्तनिचयो महान् श्रिया ह्यभीक्ष्णं संवासो दर्पयेत्संप्रमोहयेत् ब्राह्मणेषु प्रमूढेषु धर्मो विप्रणशेद्ध्रुवम् धर्मप्रणाशे भूतानामभावः स्यान्न संशयः यो रक्षिभ्यः संप्रदाय राजा राष्ट्रं विलुम्पति यक्ष्ये राष्ट्राद्धनं तस्मादानयध्वमिति ब्रुवन् यच्चादाय तदाज्ञप्तं भीतं दत्तं सुदारुणम् यजेद्राजा न तं यज्ञं प्रशंसन्त्यस्य साधवः अपीडिताः सुसंवृद्धा ये ददत्यनुकूलतः तादृशेनाभ्युपायेन यष्टव्यं नोद्यमाहृतैः यदा परिनिषिच्येत निहितो वै यथाविधि तदा राजा महायज्ञैर्यजेत बहुदक्षिणैः वृद्धबालधनं रक्ष्यमन्धस्य कृपणस्य च न खातपूर्वं कुर्वीत न रुदन्तीधनं हरेत् हृतं कृपणवित्तं हि राष्ट्रं हन्ति नृपश्रियम् दद्याच्च महतो भोगान्क्षुद्भयं प्रणुदेत्सताम् येषां स्वादूनि भोज्यानि समवेक्ष्यन्ति बालकाः नाश्नन्ति विधिवत्तानि किं नु पापतरं ततः यदि ते तादृशो राष्ट्रे विद्वान्सीदेत्क्षुधा द्विजः भ्रूणहत्यां च गच्छेथाः कृत्वा पापमिवोत्तमम् धिक्तस्य जीवितं राज्ञो राष्ट्रे यस्यावसीदति द्विजोऽन्यो वा मनुष्योऽपि शिबिराह वचो यथा यस्य स्म विषये राज्ञः स्नातकः सीदति क्षुधा अवृद्धिमेति तद्राष्ट्रं विन्दते सह राजकम् क्रोशन्त्यो यस्य वै राष्ट्राद्ध्रियन्ते तरसा स्त्रियः क्रोशतां पतिपुत्राणां मृतोऽसौ न स जीवति
अरक्षितारं हर्तारं विलोप्तारमदायकम् तं स्म राजकलिं हन्युः प्रजाः संभूय निर्घृणम्
M. N. Dutt: The subjects should arm themselves for killing that king who does not protect them who simply plunders their riches, who confounds all distinctions who is incapable of taking their lead, who is without mercy, and who is considered as the most sinful of kings.
अहं वो रक्षितेत्युक्त्वा यो न रक्षति भूमिपः स संहत्य निहन्तव्यः श्वेव सोन्माद आतुरः
M. N. Dutt: That king who tells his people that he is their protector but who does not or is unable to protect them, should be killed by his subjects in a body like a dog that is affected with the rabies and has become mad.
पापं कुर्वन्ति यत्किंचित्प्रजा राज्ञा ह्यरक्षिताः चतुर्थं तस्य पापस्य राजा भारत विन्दति
M. N. Dutt: A fourth part of whatever sins are committed by the subjects visits that king who does not protect, О Bharata.
अप्याहुः सर्वमेवेति भूयोऽर्धमिति निश्चयः चतुर्थं मतमस्माकं मनोः श्रुत्वानुशासनम्
M. N. Dutt: Some authorities say that the whole of those sins visits such a king. Others are of opinion that a half thereof visits him. Bearing in mind, However, the saying of Manu, it is our opinion that a fourth part of such sins visits the unprotecting king.
शुभं वा यत्प्रकुर्वन्ति प्रजा राज्ञा सुरक्षिताः चतुर्थं तस्य पुण्यस्य राजा चाप्नोति भारत
M. N. Dutt: That king, O Bharata, O Bharata, who affords protection to his subjects gets fourth part of whatever merits his subjects win by living under his protection.
जीवन्तं त्वानुजीवन्तु प्रजाः सर्वा युधिष्ठिर पर्जन्यमिव भूतानि महाद्रुममिव द्विजाः
M. N. Dutt: Do you, O Yudhishthira, act in such a way that all your subjects, may seek refuge with you as long as you are alive, as all creatures seek the refuge, of the god of rain or as the birds seek the refuge of a large tree.
कुबेरमिव रक्षांसि शतक्रतुमिवामराः ज्ञातयस्त्वानुजीवन्तु सुहृदश्च परंतप
M. N. Dutt: Let all your kinsmen and all your friends and well-wishers, O scorcher of enemies, seek refuge with you as the Rakshasas seek Kubera or the gods seek Indra as theirs.