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.
धान्यं श्रमेणार्जितवित्तसंचितं विप्रे सुशीले प्रतियच्छते यः। वसुंधरा तस्य भवेत्सुतुष्टा धारां वसूनां प्रतिमुञ्चतीव
He who gives to a virtuous Brahmin grain acquired through toil and wealth honestly gathered—the earth herself is well-pleased with him and seems to shower streams of riches.
अन्नदाः प्रथमं यान्ति सत्यवाक्यदनन्तरम्। अयाचितप्रदाता च समं यान्ति त्रयो जनाः
Those who give food go first, followed by those who speak the truth; and those who give unasked—these three proceed together.
कौतूहलसमुत्पन्नः पर्यपृच्छद्युधिष्ठिरः। मार्कण्डेयं महात्मानं पुनरेव सहानुजः
Then, filled with curiosity, Yudhishthira questioned the great-souled Markandeya once again, together with his brothers.
यमलोकस्य चाध्वानमन्तरं मानुषस्य च। कीदृशं किंप्रमाणं वा कथं वा तन्महामुने। तरन्ति पुरुषाश्चैव केनोपायेन शंस मे
O great sage, what is the path to Yama’s realm and to the world of men? What is it like, what is its measure, and how does one cross it? Tell me by what means people traverse it.
सर्वगुह्यतनं प्रश्नं पवित्रमृषिसंस्तुतम्। कथयिष्यामि ते राजन्धर्मं धर्मभृतांवर
O king, I shall tell you this most secret, pure, and sage-praised question—the dharma, O best of the righteous.
षडशीतिसहस्राणि योजनानां नराधिप। यमलोकस्य चाध्वानमन्तरं मानुषस्य च
O ruler of men, the distance between the world of men and the realm of Yama is eighty-six thousand yojanas.
आकाशं तदपानीयं घोरं कान्तारदर्शनम्। न तत्र वृक्षच्छाया वा पानीनं केतनानि च
That path is sky-like, waterless, and dreadful, with the appearance of a desolate wilderness; there is no shade of trees nor shelters for water-bearers.
विश्रमेद्यत्र वै श्रान्तः पुरुषोऽध्वनि कर्शितः। नीयते यमदूतैस्तु यमस्वाज्ञाकरैर्बलात्
There, a man, weary and exhausted on the journey, finds no place to rest; he is forcibly led by Yama’s messengers, who act according to Yama’s command.
नराः स्त्रियस्तथैवान्ये पृथिव्यां जीवसंज्ञिताः। ब्रह्मणेभ्यः प्रदानानि नानारूपाणि पार्थिव
Men, women, and others known as living beings on earth, O king, go bearing various gifts to Brahmins.
हयादीनां प्रकृष्टानि तेऽध्वानं यान्ति वै नराः। सन्निवार्यातपं यानति च्छत्रेणैव हि च्छत्रदाः
Those who have given horses and the like travel that path with ease; those who have given umbrellas proceed sheltered from the sun by umbrellas.