संविभक्ता च दाता च भोगवान्सुखवान्नरः। भवत्यहिंसकश्चैव परमारोग्यमश्नुते
He who shares and gives, who enjoys and is happy, and who is non-violent, attains supreme health.
मान्यं मानयिता जन्म कुले महति विन्दति। `विन्दते सुखमत्यर्थमिह लोके परत्र च'। व्यसनैर्न तुसंयोगं प्राप्नोति विजितेन्द्रियः
One who honors the honorable is born in a great family; 'he attains great happiness in this world and the next,' and the one who has conquered the senses does not encounter misfortune.
शुभानुशयबुद्धिर्हि संयुक्तः कालधर्मणा। प्रादुर्भवति तद्योगात्कल्याणमतिरेव सः
He whose mind is endowed with auspicious tendencies, united with the law of time, is born through that connection as one whose intellect is truly virtuous.
भगवन्दानधर्माणआं तपसो वा महामुने। किंस्विद्बहुगुणं प्रेत्य किं वा दुष्करमुच्यते
O venerable sage, among the duties of giving and austerity, which is considered most meritorious after death, and which is said to be most difficult?
दानान्न दुष्करं तात पृथिव्यामस्ति किंचन। अर्थे च महती तृष्णा स च दुःखेन लभ्यते
O dear one, there is nothing more difficult on earth than giving; for there is great thirst for wealth, and it is obtained with much hardship.
राजन्प्रत्यक्षमेवैतद्दृश्यते लोकसाक्षिकम्'। परित्यज्य प्रियान्प्राणान्प्रविशन्ति रणाजिरम्। तथैव प्रतिपद्यन्ते समुद्रमटवीं तथा
O King, this is seen directly and witnessed by the world: abandoning dear life itself, people enter the battlefield; likewise, they venture into the ocean and the forest.
कृषिगोरक्ष्यमित्येके प्रतिपद्यन्ति मानवाः। पुरुषाः प्रेष्यतामेके निर्गच्छन्ति धनार्थिनः
Some men engage in agriculture and cattle-rearing, while others, seeking wealth, enter into servitude.
तस्माद्दुःखार्जितस्यैव परित्यागः सुदुष्करः। सुदुष्करतरं दानं तस्माद्दानं मतं मम
Therefore, it is extremely difficult to give up wealth acquired with hardship; and giving is even more difficult—thus, I consider giving to be supreme.
विसेषस्त्वत्र विज्ञेयो न्यायेनोपार्जितं धनम्। पात्रे काले च देशे च प्रयतः प्रतिपादयेत्
But here, one should understand the distinction: wealth acquired justly should be given, with care, to a worthy recipient, at the proper time and place.
अन्यायात्समुपात्तेन दानधर्मौ धनन यः। कुरुते न स कर्तारं त्रायते महतो भयात्
He who performs the duties of giving and charity with wealth obtained unjustly does not save the doer from great fear.
पात्रे दानं स्वल्पमपि काले दत्तं युधिष्ठिर। मनसा हि विशुद्धेन प्रेत्यानन्तफलं स्मृतम्
Even a little gift, given at the right time to a worthy recipient, O Yudhishthira, with a pure mind, is remembered as yielding infinite fruit after death.
श्रद्धा धर्मानुगा देवी पावनी विश्वधारिणी।' सवित्री प्रसवित्री च संसारार्णवतारिणी
Faith, accompanied by righteousness, is divine, purifying, and upholds the universe; it is Savitri, the procreator, and the deliverer across the ocean of worldly existence.
श्रद्धया धार्यते धर्मो महद्भिर्नार्थदर्शिभिः। सधना अपिराजानो निःश्रद्धा नरकं गताः
Dharma is upheld by the great, who perceive not merely material gain, through faith; even kings with abundant means, lacking faith, have gone to hell.
निष्किंचनाश्च मुनयः श्रद्धावन्तो दिवं गताः। देशे काले च पात्रे च मुद्गलः श्रद्धयाऽन्वितः। व्रीहिद्रोणं प्रदायाथ परं पदमवाप्तवान्
Destitute sages, possessing faith, have attained heaven; Mudgala, endowed with faith, gave a measure of rice in the right place, time, and to the proper recipient, and thus reached the supreme state.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीमतिहासं पुरातनम्। व्रीहिद्रोणपरित्यागाद्यत्फलं प्राप मुद्गलः
Here too, they cite an ancient tale: the fruit Mudgala obtained from giving up a measure of rice.
व्रीहिद्रोणः परित्यक्तः कथं तेन महात्मना। कस्मै दत्तश्च भगवन्विधिना केन चात्थ मे
How did that great-souled one relinquish the measure of rice? To whom was it given, O revered one, and by what method? Tell me.
प्रत्यक्षधर्मा भगवान्यस् तुष्टो हि कर्मभिः। सफलं तस्य जन्माहं मन्ये सद्धर्मचारिणः
The revered one, manifest in dharma, was pleased by his deeds; I believe the birth of that follower of true dharma was fruitful.
शिलोञ्छवृत्तिर्धर्मात्मा मुद्गलः संयतेन्द्रियः। आसीद्राजन्कुरुक्षेत्रे सत्यवागनसूयकः
Mudgala, righteous and self-controlled, lived by gleaning grains; he was a king in Kurukshetra, truthful and free from deceit.
अतिथिव्रती क्रियावांश्च कापोतीं वृत्तिमास्थितः। सत्रमिष्टीकृतंनाम समुपास्ते महातपाः
Observing the vow of hospitality and performing rituals, he adopted the lifestyle of a pigeon; the great ascetic worshipped the sacrifice called 'Iṣṭīkṛta.'
सपुत्रदारो हि मुनिः पक्षाहारो बभूव ह। कपोतवृत्त्या पक्षेण व्रीहिद्रोयणमुपार्जयत्
With wife and son, the sage subsisted on food gathered fortnightly, earning a measure of rice by the pigeon’s method.
दर्शं च पौर्णमासं च कुर्वन्विगतमन्सरः। देवतातिथिशेषेण कुरुते देहयापनम्
Performing the Darsha and Purnamasa rites, free from desire and anger, he sustained his body with what remained after offering to gods and guests.
तत्रेन्द्रः सहितो देवैः साक्षात्रिभुवनेश्वरः। प्रत्यृह्णान्महाराज भागं पर्वणिपर्वणि
There, Indra, accompanied by the gods, the lord of the three worlds himself, received his share from the king at every festival.
स पर्वकाल्यं कृत्वा तु मुनिवृत्त्या समन्वितः। अतिथिभ्यो ददावन्नं प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना
At festival times, adopting the conduct of a sage, he joyfully gave food to guests with a delighted inner spirit.
व्रीहिद्रोणस्य तत्प्रीत्या ददतोऽन्नं महात्मनः। ऋषेर्मात्सर्यहीनस् वर्धत्यतिथिदर्शनात्
Because of the joy with which the great-souled sage gave food from the measure of rice, his hospitality, free from envy, increased with each guest’s arrival.
तच्छतान्यपि भुञ्जन्ति ब्राह्मणानां मनीषिणाम्। मुनेस्त्यागविशुद्ध्या तु तदन्नं वृद्धिमृच्छति
Even hundreds of wise Brahmins ate that food; through the purity of the sage’s renunciation, the food grew in abundance.
तं तु रशुश्राव धर्मिष्ठं मुद्गलं संशितव्रतम्। दुर्वासा नृप दिग्वासास्तमथाभ्याजगाम ह
Durvasa, clad only in the directions, heard of Mudgala, steadfast in vows and rich in dharma, and then approached him.
विभ्रच्चानियतं वेषमुन्मत्त इव पाण्डव। विकचः परुषा वाचो व्याहरन्विविधा मुनिः
The sage, appearing disheveled and unrestrained in dress, like a madman, with unkempt hair, spoke harsh and various words.
अभिगम्याथ तं विप्रमुवाच मुनिसत्तमः। अन्नार्थिनमनुप्राप्तं विद्धि मां मुनिसत्तम
Approaching the Brahmin, the eminent sage said: 'Know me, O best of sages, as one who has come seeking food.'
स्वागतं तेऽस्त्विति मुनिं मुद्गलः प्रत्यभाषत। पाद्यमाचमनीयं च प्रतिवेद्यान्नमुत्तमम्
Mudgala replied to the sage, 'Welcome to you!' and offered water for washing feet, water for sipping, and announced the finest food.
प्रादात्स तपसोपात्तं क्षुधितायातिथिप्रियः। उन्मत्ताय परां श्रद्धामास्थाय स धृतव्रतः
He gave, with utmost faith, food acquired through asceticism to the hungry guest, even though the guest appeared mad, remaining firm in his vow.