श्रुत्वा स राजा राजर्षिरिन्द्रद्युम्नस्य तत्तदा। मार्कण्डेयान्महाभागात्स्वर्गस्य प्रतिपादनम्
Having heard from the blessed Mārkaṇḍeya the account of Indradyumna and his attainment of heaven, the royal sage listened.
युधिष्ठिरो महाराज पुनः पप्रच्छ तं मुनिम्। कीदृशीषु ह्यवस्थासु दत्त्वा दानं महामुने। इन्द्रलोकं त्वनुभवेत्पुरुषस्तद्ब्रवीहि मे
King Yudhiṣṭhira again questioned the sage: 'O great sage, in what conditions, after giving gifts, does a man attain Indra's world? Tell me this.'
गार्हस्थ्येऽप्यथवा बाल्ये यौवने स्थाविरेऽपि वा। यथा फलं समश्नाति तथा त्वं कथयस्व मे
Whether in household life, childhood, youth, or old age, just as one eats fruit equally, so you must tell me likewise.
वृथा जन्मानि चत्वारि वृथा दानानि षोडश। वृथा जन्म ह्यपुत्रस् ये च धर्मबहिष्कृताः
Four births are in vain, sixteen gifts are in vain; birth without a son is indeed in vain, as are those excluded from righteousness.
परपाकं च येऽश्नन्ति आत्मार्थं च पचेत्तु यः। पर्यश्नन्ति वृथा यत्र तदसत्यं प्रकीर्त्यते
Those who eat food cooked by others, or who cook for their own sake, and where others eat in vain, that is declared untrue.
आरूढपतिते दत्तमन्यायोपहृतं च यत्। व्यर्थं तु पतिते दानं ब्राह्मणे तस्करे तथा
What is given to one fallen from a mount, or what is wrongfully taken, is wasted; so too is a gift to a fallen Brahmin or a thief.
गुरौ चानृतिके पापे कृतघ्ने ग्रामयाजके। वेदविक्रयिणे दत्तं तथा वृषलयाजके
A gift given to a false teacher, a sinner, an ingrate, a village priest, a seller of the Vedas, or one who sacrifices for outcastes is wasted.
ब्रह्मबन्धुषु यद्दत्तं यद्दत्तं वृषलीपतौ। स्त्रीजितेषु च यद्दत्तं व्यालग्राहे तथैव च
What is given to those who are Brahmin only in name, to outcastes, to those conquered by women, or to those seized by serpents, is likewise wasted.
परिचारकेषु यद्दत्तं वृथा दानानि षोडश। तमोवृतस्तु यो दद्याद्भयात्क्रोधात्तथैव च
What is given to servants is among the sixteen wasted gifts; and one who gives, shrouded in darkness, out of fear or anger, likewise wastes it.
भुङ्क्ते च दानं तत्सर्वं गर्भस्थस्तु नरः सदा। ददद्दानं द्विजातिभ्यो वृद्धभावेन मानवः
A man always enjoys all gifts even while in the womb; a person should give gifts to the twice-born with reverence for elders.
तस्मात्सर्वास्ववस्थासु सर्वदानानि पार्थिव। दातव्यानि द्विजातिभ्यः स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषया
Therefore, O king, in all conditions, all gifts should be given to the twice-born, desiring the path to heaven.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य सर्वस्य वर्तमानाः प्रतिग्रहे। केन विप्रा विशेषेण तारयन्ति तरन्ति च
For all four classes, while receiving gifts, by what special means do the Brahmins save and cross over?
जपैर्मन्त्रैश्च होमैश्च स्वाध्यायाध्यायनेन च। नावं वेदमयीं कृत्वातारयन्ति तरन्ति च
By recitations, mantras, offerings, and study, making a boat of the Vedas, they save and cross over.
ब्राह्मणांस्तोषयेद्यस्तु तुष्यन्ते तस्य देवताः। वचनाच्चापि विप्राणां स्वर्गलोकमवाप्नुयात्
Whoever pleases the Brahmins, the gods are pleased with him; and by the words of the Brahmins, one attains the heavenly world.
अनन्तं पुण्यलोकं तु गन्ताऽसौ तु न संशयः। श्लेष्मादिभिर्व्याप्ततनुर्म्रियमाणोऽविचेतनः
He will go to the endless world of merit, there is no doubt; even when dying, his body afflicted by phlegm and other ailments, unconscious.
ब्राह्णा एव संपूज्याः पुण्यं स्वर्गमभीप्सता। श्राद्धकाले तु यत्नेन भोक्तव्या ह्यजुगुप्सिताः
Brahmins alone should be honored by those desiring merit and heaven; at the time of the śrāddha, they must be fed with care, avoiding the unworthy.
दुर्बलः कुनस्वी कुष्ठी मायावी कुण्डगोलकौ। वर्जनीयाः प्रयत्नेन काण्डपृष्ठाश्च देहिनः
The weak, the evil-natured, the leprous, the deceitful, the hunchbacked, and those with crooked spines should be carefully avoided.
जुगुप्सितं हि यच्छ्राद्धं दहत्यग्निरिवेन्धनम्
For what is unworthy at the śrāddha burns like fire consumes fuel.
ये ये श्राद्धे न पूज्यन्ते मूकान्धबधिरादयः। तेऽपिसर्वे नियोक्तव्या मिश्रिता वेदपारगैः
Those who are mute, blind, deaf, and the like, who are not honored at the śrāddha, should all be appointed, mixed with those learned in the Vedas.
प्रतिग्रहश्च वै देयः शृणु यस् युधिष्ठिर। प्रदातारं तथाऽऽत्मानं यस्तारयति शक्तिमान्
Receiving gifts must indeed be done; listen, O Yudhishthira, for the powerful one who gives saves both the giver and himself.
तस्मिन्देयं द्विजे दानं सर्वागमविजानता। प्रदातारं तथाऽऽत्मानं तारयेद्यः स शक्तिमान्
Therefore, giving this gift to a twice-born who does not know all the scriptures, one who is capable thereby saves both the recipient and himself.
न तथा हविषो होमैर्न पुष्पैर्नानुलेपनैः। अग्नयः पार्थ तुष्यन्ति यथा ह्यतिथिभोजने
O Partha, the fires are not as pleased by offerings of oblations, flowers, or ointments as they are by the feeding of a guest.
तस्मात्त्वंसर्वयत्नेन यतस्वातिथिभोजने
Therefore, you should strive with all effort to feed guests.
पादोदकंपादघृतंदीपमन्नं प्रतिश्रयम्। प्रयच्छन्ति तु ये राजन्नोपसर्पन्ति ते यमम्
O King, those who offer water for washing feet, ghee for the feet, a lamp, food, and shelter—such people do not approach Yama.
देवमाल्यापनयनं द्विजोच्छिष्टावमार्जनम्। आकल्पपरिचर्या च गात्रसंवाहनानि च। अत्रैकैकं नृपश्रेष्ठ गोदानाद्व्यतिरिच्यते
Removal of divine garlands, cleaning the leavings of a twice-born, thorough service, and massaging the limbs—each of these, O best of kings, surpasses the gift of a cow.
कपिलायाः प्रदानात्तु मुच्यते नात्र संशयः। तस्मादलंकृतां दद्यात्कपिलां तु द्विजातये
There is no doubt that by giving a tawny cow, one is freed; therefore, one should give a well-adorned tawny cow to a twice-born.
श्रोत्रियाय दरिद्राय गृहस्थायाग्निहोत्रिणे। पुत्रदाराभिभूताय तथा ह्यनुपकारिणे
To a learned, poor, householder who performs the fire ritual, who is overwhelmed by children and wife, and who gives nothing in return—
एवंविधेषु दातव्या न समृद्धेषु भारत। को गुणो भरतश्रेष्ठ समृद्धेष्वभिवर्जितम्
To such as these should gifts be given, not to the prosperous, O Bharata; what merit is there, O best of Bharatas, in giving to the prosperous, which is to be avoided?
एकस्यैका प्रदातव्या न बहूनां कदाचन। सा गौर्विक्रयमापन्ना हन्यात्रिपुरुषं कुलम्। न तारयति दातारं ब्राह्मणं नैव नैव तु
One cow should be given to one person, never to many; a cow that has been sold destroys the lineage for three generations; it does not save the giver, nor the Brahmin, nor anyone at all.
ब्राह्मणस्य विशुद्धस्य सुवर्णं यः प्रयच्छति। सुवर्णानां शतं तेन दत्तं भवति शाश्वतम्
Whoever gives pure gold to a Brahmin, for him it is as if he has given a hundred pieces of gold, and that is eternal.