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.
अनड्वाहं तु यो दद्याद्बलवन्तं धुरंधरम्। स निस्तरति दुर्गाणि स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
Whoever gives a strong, draught-bearing bull, he crosses over difficulties and attains the world of heaven.
वसुंधरां तु यो दद्याद्द्विजाय विदुषात्मने। दातारं ह्यनुगच्छन्ति सर्वे कामाभिवाञ्छिताः
Whoever gives land to a twice-born of wise soul, all the desired objects follow the giver.
पृच्छन्ति चान्नदातारं वदन्ति पुरुषा भुवि। अध्वनि क्षीणगात्राश्च पांसुना चावकुण्ठिताः
People on earth, their bodies exhausted on the road and covered in dust, ask and speak of the giver of food.
तेषामेव श्रमार्तानां यो ह्यन्नं कथयेद्बुधः। अन्नदातृसमः सोपि कीर्त्यते नात्र संशयः
If someone, seeing those weary and distressed, tells them where food is, he too is praised as equal to the giver of food—there is no doubt of this.
तस्मात्त्वं सर्वदानानि हित्वाऽन्नं संप्रयच्छ ह। न हीदृशं पुण्यफलं विचित्रामिह विद्यते
Therefore, you should give food, abandoning all other gifts; for I do not see any other meritorious fruit here like this.
यथाशक्ति च यो दद्यादन्नं विप्रेषु संस्कृतम्। स तेन कर्मणाऽऽप्नोति प्रजापतिसलोकताम्
And whoever gives, to the best of his ability, prepared food to Brahmins, by that act attains the same world as Prajapati.
अन्नमेव विशिष्टं हि तस्मात्परतरं न च। अन्नं प्रजापतिश्चोक्तः स च संवत्सरो मतः
Indeed, food is supreme; there is nothing higher than food. Prajapati is said to be food, and he is considered the year.
संवत्सरस्तु यज्ञोऽसौ सर्वं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम्। तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
The year is indeed the sacrifice, and everything is established in sacrifice; therefore, all beings, both stationary and moving—
तस्मादन्नं विशिष्टं हि सर्वेभ्यइति विश्रुतम्
Therefore, food is indeed declared to be superior to all.
येषां तटाकानि महोदकानि वाप्यश्चकूपाश्चप्रतिश्रयाश्च। अन्नस्य दानं मधुरा च वाणी यमस्य ते निर्वचना भवन्ति
Those who have ponds and great reservoirs of water, wells and resting places, who give food and speak sweet words—their accounts with Yama become settled.