Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच अधर्मस्य गतिर्ब्रह्मन्कथिता मे त्वयानघ धर्मस्य तु गतिं श्रोतुमिच्छामि वदतां वर कृत्वा कर्माणि पापानि कथं यान्ति शुभां गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said You have told me, O twiceborn one, what the end is of virtue or sin, I wish now to hear, O foremost of speakers, of what the end is of virtue.
Supplementary Passages:
13.113.1 V1 B1-4 Dn ins. after 1: D5 after 1cd:: *567 कर्मणा च कृतेनेह केन यान्ति शुभां गतिम्
बृहस्पतिरुवाच कृत्वा पापानि कर्माणि अधर्मवशमागतः मनसा विपरीतेन निरयं प्रतिपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: Brihaspati said By committing sinful deeds with perverted mind, one gives way to the influence of sin, and accordingly goes to Hell.
मोहादधर्मं यः कृत्वा पुनः समनुतप्यते मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तो न स सेवेत दुष्कृतम्
AI Translation: One who, out of delusion, commits an unrighteous act and then repents, united with mental concentration, should not engage in evil.
Supplementary Passages:
13.113.3 After 3, N (D3 missing) ins.: *568 यथा यथा मनस्तस्य दुष्कृतं कर्म गर्हते तथा तथा शरीरं तु तेनाधर्मेण मुच्यते यदि व्याहरते राजन्विप्राणां धर्मवादिनाम् ततोऽधर्मकृतात्क्षिप्रमपवादात्प्रमुच्यते
यथा यथा नरः सम्यगधर्ममनुभाषते समाहितेन मनसा विमुच्यति तथा तथा भुजंग इव निर्मोकात्पूर्वभुक्ताज्जरान्वितात्
M. N. Dutt: Accordingly as one mentions his sins, fully or otherwise, with concentrated mind, he becomes cleansed there from fully or otherwise, like a snake freed from his diseased slough.
अदत्त्वापि प्रदानानि विविधानि समाहितः मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तः सुगतिं प्रतिपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: By making with a concentrated mind, gifts of various kinds to Brahmana, and concentrating the mind (on the deity), one attains to an auspicious end.
प्रदानानि तु वक्ष्यामि यानि दत्त्वा युधिष्ठिर नरः कृत्वाप्यकार्याणि तदा धर्मेण युज्यते
M. N. Dutt: I shall now tell you what those gifts are, o Yudhishthira, by making which a person, even if guilty of having committed sinful deeds, may become gifted with merit.
सर्वेषामेव दानानामन्नं श्रेष्ठमुदाहृतम् पूर्वमन्नं प्रदातव्यमृजुना धर्ममिच्छता
M. N. Dutt: Of all kinds of gifts, that of food is considered as the best. One desirous of acquiring merit should, with a sincere heart, make gifts of food.
प्राणा ह्यन्नं मनुष्याणां तस्माज्जन्तुश्च जायते अन्ने प्रतिष्ठिता लोकास्तस्मादन्नं प्रकाशते
M. N. Dutt: Food is the vital air of men. From it all creatures originate. All the worlds of living creatures are established upon food. Hence food is highly spoken of.
अन्नमेव प्रशंसन्ति देवर्षिपितृमानवाः अन्नस्य हि प्रदानेन स्वर्गमाप्नोति कौशिकः
M. N. Dutt: The deities Rishis, departed manes, and men, all praise food. Formerly king Rantideva, proceeded to the celestial region by making gifts of food.
न्यायलब्धं प्रदातव्यं द्विजेभ्यो ह्यन्नमुत्तमम् स्वाध्यायसमुपेतेभ्यः प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना
M. N. Dutt: Good food that has been acquired by fair means, should be given with a cheerful heart, lo Brahmanas possessed of Vedic learning.
यस्य ह्यन्नमुपाश्नन्ति ब्राह्मणानां शता दश हृष्टेन मनसा दत्तं न स तिर्यग्गतिर्भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: That man, whose food, given with a cheerful heart, is taken by a is taken by a thousand Brahmanas, has never to take birth in an intermediate order.
ब्राह्मणानां सहस्राणि दश भोज्य नरर्षभ नरोऽधर्मात्प्रमुच्येत पापेष्वभिरतः सदा
M. N. Dutt: A person, O king, by feeding ten thousand Brahmanas, becomes cleansed of sin and devoted to Yoga practices.
भैक्षेणान्नं समाहृत्य विप्रो वेदपुरस्कृतः स्वाध्यायनिरते विप्रे दत्त्वेह सुखमेधते
M. N. Dutt: A Brahmana knowing the Vedas, by giving away food acquired by him as alms, to a Brahmana devoted to the study of the Vedas, succeeds in acquiring happiness here.
Supplementary Passages:
13.113.13 T G M4 ins. after 13ab: M1-3 after 13: *569 सुवर्णदानात्पापानि नश्यन्ति सुबहून्यपि दत्त्वा वृत्तिकरीं भूमिं पातकेनापि मुच्यते पारायणैश्च वेदानां मुच्यते पातकैर्द्विजः गायत्र्याश्चैव लक्षेण गोसहस्रस्य तर्पणात् वेदार्थं ज्ञापयित्वा तु शुद्धान्विप्रान्यथार्थतः सर्वत्यागादिभिश्चापि मुच्यते पातकैर्द्विजः सर्वातिथ्यं परं ह्येषां तस्मादन्नं परं स्मृतम्
अहिंसन्ब्राह्मणं नित्यं न्यायेन परिपाल्य च क्षत्रियस्तरसा प्राप्तमन्नं यो वै प्रयच्छति
AI Translation: One who always protects the brahmin without harming him, and protects him by means of proper means, A kshatriya who quickly gives food that has been obtained,
द्विजेभ्यो वेदवृद्धेभ्यः प्रयतः सुसमाहितः तेनापोहति धर्मात्मा दुष्कृतं कर्म पाण्डव
AI Translation: With great concentration, he should offer to the learned Brahmins who are well-versed in the Vedas. By this, the virtuous-souled Pandava removes his evil deeds.
षड्भागपरिशुद्धं च कृषेर्भागमुपार्जितम् वैश्यो ददद्द्विजातिभ्यः पापेभ्यः परिमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: Thai Vaishya who divides the produce of his fields into six equal parts and makes of gift a one of those shares to Brahmanas, succeeds by such conduct in cleansing himself from every sin.
अवाप्य प्राणसंदेहं कार्कश्येन समार्जितम् अन्नं दत्त्वा द्विजातिभ्यः शूद्रः पापात्प्रमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: That Shudra who acquiring food by hard labour and at the risk of life itself, makes a gift of it to Brahmanas, becomes purged off of every sin.
औरसेन बलेनान्नमर्जयित्वाविहिंसकः यः प्रयच्छति विप्रेभ्यो न स दुर्गाणि सेवते
M. N. Dutt: That man who, by dint of his physical strength acquires food without doing any act of injury to any creature, and makes gift of it to Brahmanas, succeeds in avoiding all calamities.
न्यायेनावाप्तमन्नं तु नरो लोभविवर्जितः द्विजेभ्यो वेदवृद्धेभ्यो दत्त्वा पापात्प्रमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: A person by cheerfully making gifts of food acquired by fair means to Brahmans pereminent for Vedic learning, becomes purged off of all his sins.
अन्नमूर्जस्करं लोके दत्त्वोर्जस्वी भवेन्नरः सतां पन्थानमाश्रित्य सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: By treading in the path of the pious, one becomes freed from all sins, A person by making gifts of such food as creates great energy becomes himself endued with great energy.
Supplementary Passages:
13.113.20 After 20ab, S (except T1) ins,: *570 शूद्रान्नं नैव भोक्तव्यं विप्रैर्धर्मपरायणैः आपद्येव स्वदासानां भोक्तव्यं स्वयमुद्यतम्
दानकृद्भिः कृतः पन्था येन यान्ति मनीषिणः ते स्म प्राणस्य दातारस्तेभ्यो धर्मः सनातनः
M. N. Dutt: The path made by charitable persons, is always trod by the wise. They who make gifts of food, are considered as givers of life. The merit they acquire by such gifts, is eternal.
सर्वावस्थं मनुष्येण न्यायेनान्नमुपार्जितम् कार्यं पात्रगतं नित्यमन्नं हि परमा गतिः
M. N. Dutt: Hence, person should, under all circumstances, seek to acquire food by fair means, and having got it to make always gifts of it to worthy men. Food is the great support of living creatures.
अन्नस्य हि प्रदानेन नरो दुर्गं न सेवते तस्मादन्नं प्रदातव्यमन्यायपरिवर्जितम्
M. N. Dutt: By making gifts of food, one has never to go to hell. Hence one should always make gifts of food, having got it by fair means. a
यतेद्ब्राह्मणपूर्वं हि भोक्तुमन्नं गृही सदा अवन्ध्यं दिवसं कुर्यादन्नदानेन मानवः
M. N. Dutt: The householder should always try to eat after having made a gift of food to a Brahmana. Every man should make the day fruitful by making gifts of food.
भोजयित्वा दशशतं नरो वेदविदां नृप न्यायविद्धर्मविदुषामितिहासविदां तथा
AI Translation: Having fed a hundred men who know the Vedas, O king, and those who know logic, those who know dharma, and those who know history,
न याति नरकं घोरं संसारांश्च न सेवते सर्वकामसमायुक्तः प्रेत्य चाप्यश्नुते फलम्
AI Translation: He does not go to the terrible hell, nor does he resort to the worldly existence. He is endowed with all desires and attains the fruit even after death.
एवं सुखसमायुक्तो रमते विगतज्वरः रूपवान्कीर्तिमांश्चैव धनवांश्चोपपद्यते
M. N. Dutt: Gifted with such merit, he sports in happiness, freed from every anxiety, possessed of personal beauty and great fame and endued with wealth.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातमन्नदानफलं महत् मूलमेतद्धि धर्माणां प्रदानस्य च भारत
M. N. Dutt: I have thus told you all about the great merit of gifts of food. This is the root of all virtue and merit, as also of all gifts, O Bharata.