Vyasa and Maitreya on the Worth of Giving

Verse 1 (13.182.1)

विद्या तपश्च दानं च किमेतेषां विशिष्यते । पृच्छामि त्वां सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

vidyā tapaśca dānaṃ ca kimeteṣāṃ viśiṣyate | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ satāṃ śreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha

Yudhishthira said: Of learning, austerity and giving, which is the greatest? I ask you, best of the good; tell me that, grandfather.

Verse 2 (13.182.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । मैत्रेयस्य च संवादं कृष्णद्वैपायनस्य च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | maitreyasya ca saṃvādaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanasya ca

Bhishma said: On this they cite an ancient tale, the conversation of Maitreya with Krishna Dvaipayana.

Verse 3 (13.182.3)

कृष्णद्वैपायनो राजन्नज्ञातचरितं चरन् । वाराणस्यामुपातिष्ठन्मैत्रेयं स्वैरिणीकुले ॥

kṛṣṇadvaipāyano rājannajñātacaritaṃ caran | vārāṇasyāmupātiṣṭhanmaitreyaṃ svairiṇīkule

O king, Krishna Dvaipayana, going about with his identity unknown, came to Maitreya in Varanasi, among the free-roaming company of sages.

Verse 4 (13.182.4)

तमुपच्छन्नमासीनं ज्ञात्वा स मुनिसत्तमः । अर्चित्वा भोजयामास मैत्रेयोऽशनमुत्तमम् ॥

tamupacchannamāsīnaṃ jñātvā sa munisattamaḥ | arcitvā bhojayāmāsa maitreyo'śanamuttamam

Knowing that the disguised sage who sat there was the foremost of munis, Maitreya honoured him and gave him an excellent meal.

Verse 5 (13.182.5)

तदन्नमुत्तमं भुक्त्वा गुणवत्सार्वकामिकम् । उत्तिष्ठमानोऽस्मयत प्रीतः कृष्णो महामनाः ॥

tadannamuttamaṃ bhuktvā guṇavatsārvakāmikam | uttiṣṭhamāno'smayata prītaḥ kṛṣṇo mahāmanāḥ

Having eaten that excellent food, rich in qualities and satisfying every desire, the great-minded Krishna, pleased, smiled as he rose.

Verse 6 (13.182.6)

तमुत्स्मयन्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य मैत्रेयः कृष्णमब्रवीत् । कारणं ब्रूहि धर्मात्मन्व्यस्मयिष्ठाः कुतश्च ते । तपस्विनो धृतिमतः प्रमोदः समुपागतः ॥

tamutsmayantaṃ samprekṣya maitreyaḥ kṛṣṇamabravīt | kāraṇaṃ brūhi dharmātmanvyasmayiṣṭhāḥ kutaśca te | tapasvino dhṛtimataḥ pramodaḥ samupāgataḥ

Seeing him smile, Maitreya said to Krishna, "Tell me the reason, O dharma-souled one: why did you smile? Joy has come upon an ascetic of steady mind."

Verse 7 (13.182.7)

एतदिच्छामि ते विद्वन्नभिवाद्य प्रणम्य च । आत्मनश्च तपोभाग्यं सुखभाग्यं ममेह च ॥

etadicchāmi te vidvannabhivādya praṇamya ca | ātmanaśca tapobhāgyaṃ sukhabhāgyaṃ mameha ca

I wish to know this from you, wise one, saluting and bowing before you: the good fortune of your austerity, and my own good fortune of happiness here.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected: the input's भीष्म is a carry-over; this is Maitreya's own speech, continuing from the last two lines of verse 6 (the page prints no new heading). Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.121.7 (recension variant: CE 7a 'etat pṛcchāmi te vidvann abhivādya praṇamya ca', 7c 'ātmanaś ca tapobhāgyaṃ mahābhāgyaṃ tathaiva ca'). Base reading kept.

Verse 8 (13.182.8)

तपोभाग्यान्महाभाग सुखभाग्यात्तथैव च । पृथगाचरितं तात पृथगाचरितात्मनः । अल्पान्तरमहं मन्ये विशिष्टमपि चान्वयात् ॥

tapobhāgyānmahābhāga sukhabhāgyāttathaiva ca | pṛthagācaritaṃ tāta pṛthagācaritātmanaḥ | alpāntaramahaṃ manye viśiṣṭamapi cānvayāt

O greatly blessed one, between the fortune of austerity and the fortune of happiness: what each has done is different, dear sir, for one whose self has acted differently. Yet I think the difference is small, though one may even be better by lineage.

Note on the text: Three-line verse, as the page prints it (13-182-8a, b, c). Speaker corrected to Maitreya (the input's भीष्म is a carry-over). Removed the stray backtick before line 1. Not matched by the aligner: line 1 is the CE star line 13.121.007d*0606_01 (tapobhāgyān mahābhāga sukhabhāgyāt tathaiva ca), printed after 7d; lines 2 and 3 are recension variants of CE 8a, 8c ('pṛthag ācaratas tāta pṛthag ātmani cātmanoḥ', 'alpāntaram ahaṃ manye viśiṣṭam api vā tvayā').

Verse 9 (13.182.9)

अतिच्छेदातिवादाभ्यां स्मयोऽयं समुपागतः । असत्यं वेदवचनं कस्माद्वेदोऽनृतं वदेत् ॥

aticchedātivādābhyāṃ smayo'yaṃ samupāgataḥ | asatyaṃ vedavacanaṃ kasmādvedo'nṛtaṃ vadet

Vyasa said: This wonder came upon me from a great gap and an overstatement: the word of the Veda would seem untrue, yet how could the Veda speak falsely?

Verse 10 (13.182.10)

त्रीण्येव तु पदान्याहुः पुरुषस्योत्तमं प्रति । न द्रुह्येच्चैव दद्याच्च सत्यं चैव परान्वदेत् ॥

trīṇyeva tu padānyāhuḥ puruṣasyottamaṃ prati | na druhyeccaiva dadyācca satyaṃ caiva parānvadet

They speak of just three steps toward the highest for a man: not to injure, to give, and to speak the truth to others.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; lines 1 and 2 = CE 13.121.10a, 10c (recension variants: Wikisource 'पुरुषस्योत्तमं प्रति', 'परान्वदेत्' against CE 'puruṣasyottamaṃ vratam', 'paraṃ vadet').

Verse 11 (13.182.11)

इति वेदोक्तमृषिभिः पुरस्तात्परिकल्पितम् । इदानीं चैव नः कृत्यं पुरस्ताच्च परिश्रुतम् ॥

iti vedoktamṛṣibhiḥ purastātparikalpitam | idānīṃ caiva naḥ kṛtyaṃ purastācca pariśrutam

This is what the sages laid down long ago as declared in the Veda, and our duty now has likewise been heard of old.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner. Line 1 is the CE star line 13.121.010f*0607_01 (iti vedoktam ṛṣibhiḥ purastāt parikalpitam); line 2 = CE 10e (Wikisource 'परिश्रुतम्' against CE 'paraṃ smṛtam'). The two lines stand in the reverse order of the CE.

Verse 12 (13.182.12)

अल्पोऽपि तादृशो न्यासो भवत्युत महाफलः । तृषिताय च यद्दत्तं हृदयेनानसूयता ॥

alpo'pi tādṛśo nyāso bhavatyuta mahāphalaḥ | tṛṣitāya ca yaddattaṃ hṛdayenānasūyatā

Even a small gift of that sort bears great fruit, when it is given to a thirsty man by a heart free of spite.

Verse 13 (13.182.13)

तोषितास्त्रिदशा यत्ते दत्त्वैतद्दर्शनं मम । अजैषीर्महतो लोकान्महायज्ञैरिव प्रभो ॥

toṣitāstridaśā yatte dattvaitaddarśanaṃ mama | ajaiṣīrmahato lokānmahāyajñairiva prabho

The gods are gratified by what you gave before my eyes; you have won great worlds, my lord, as if by great sacrifices.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.121.12 (line 2 = CE 12c; line 1 a recension variant of 12a 'tṛṣitas tṛṣitāya tvaṃ dattvaitad aśanaṃ mama').

Verse 14 (13.182.14)

ततो दानपवित्रेण प्रीतोऽस्मि तपसैव च । दूरात्पुण्यवतो गन्धः पुण्यस्यैव च दर्शनात् ॥

tato dānapavitreṇa prīto'smi tapasaiva ca | dūrātpuṇyavato gandhaḥ puṇyasyaiva ca darśanāt

So I am pleased with the purity of your gift and with your austerity as well; the fragrance of a man of merit is known from afar, and so is merit from the mere sight of it.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner. Line 1 = CE 13.121.12e (Wikisource 'ततो' for CE 'ato'); line 2 is a recension variant of CE 13a ('puṇyasyaiva hi te gandhaḥ puṇyasyaiva ca darśanam').

Verse 15 (13.182.15)

पुण्यश्च वातिगन्धस्ते मन्ये कर्म विधानजम् । अथ कर्मार्जितस्तात यथाचैवानुलेपनात् ॥

puṇyaśca vātigandhaste manye karma vidhānajam | atha karmārjitastāta yathācaivānulepanāt

A pure and powerful fragrance comes from you, which I take to be born of deeds done as ordained. And it is won by deeds, dear one, just as it is by anointing.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; line 1 = CE 13.121.13c (Wikisource 'कर्म विधानजम्' against CE 'karmavidhānataḥ'); line 2 is a recension variant of CE 14a ('adhikaṃ mārjanāt tāta tathaivāpy anulepanāt').

Verse 16 (13.182.16)

शुभं सर्वपवित्रेभ्यो दानमेव परं द्विज । नोचेत्सर्वपवित्रेभ्यो दानमेव परं भवेत् ॥

śubhaṃ sarvapavitrebhyo dānameva paraṃ dvija | nocetsarvapavitrebhyo dānameva paraṃ bhavet

Of all that purifies, giving alone is the best and highest, O brahmin. And even if it were not so, giving alone would be supreme over all purifiers.

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वपवित्रेब्यो → सर्वपवित्रेभ्यो (misprint in Wikisource; ब्य for भ्य; CE sarvapavitrebhyaḥ). Removed the editor's square brackets round line 2 and the page's doubled danda before the closing bracket; verse-end mark normalised. Not matched by the aligner: the two lines conflate CE 13.121.14c ('śubhaṃ sarvapavitrebhyo dānam eva paraṃ bhavet') with the star lines 13.121.014c*0608_01-02 ('dānam eva paraṃ dvija', 'no cet sarvapavitrebhyo').

Verse 17 (13.182.17)

यानीमान्युत्तमानीह वेदोक्तानि प्रशंसति । तेषां श्रेष्ठतरं दानमिति मे नात्र संशयः ॥

yānīmānyuttamānīha vedoktāni praśaṃsati | teṣāṃ śreṣṭhataraṃ dānamiti me nātra saṃśayaḥ

Of all these excellent things that are praised here as declared in the Veda, giving is the best; of this I have no doubt.

Verse 18 (13.182.18)

दानवद्भिः कृतः पन्था येन यान्ति मनीषिणः । ते हि प्राणस्य दातारस्तेषु धर्मः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥

dānavadbhiḥ kṛtaḥ panthā yena yānti manīṣiṇaḥ | te hi prāṇasya dātārasteṣu dharmaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

The path made by those who give is the one by which the wise travel; they are givers of life, and in them dharma is firmly established.

Verse 19 (13.182.19)

यथा वेदाः स्वधीताश्च यथा चेन्द्रियसंयमः । सर्वत्यागो यथा चेह तथा दानमनुत्तमम् ॥

yathā vedāḥ svadhītāśca yathā cendriyasaṃyamaḥ | sarvatyāgo yathā ceha tathā dānamanuttamam

As the Vedas well studied are, as restraint of the senses is, as complete renunciation is here, so is giving, unsurpassed.

Note on the text: Corrected यता → यथा and तता → तथा (misprints in Wikisource; त for थ; CE yathā … tathā).

Verse 20 (13.182.20)

त्वं हि तात सुखादेव शुभमेष्यसि शोभनम् । सुखात्सुखतरप्राप्तिमाप्नुते मतिमान्नरः ॥

tvaṃ hi tāta sukhādeva śubhameṣyasi śobhanam | sukhātsukhataraprāptimāpnute matimānnaraḥ

You, dear one, will go from happiness itself to a fair good; a wise man gains still greater happiness from happiness.

Verse 21 (13.182.21)

तन्नः प्रत्यक्षमेवेदमुपलक्ष्यमसंशयम् । श्रीमन्तः प्राप्नुवन्त्यर्थान्दानं यज्ञं तथा सुखम् ॥

tannaḥ pratyakṣamevedamupalakṣyamasaṃśayam | śrīmantaḥ prāpnuvantyarthāndānaṃ yajñaṃ tathā sukham

This is plain before our eyes and beyond doubt: the prosperous gain wealth, giving, sacrifice and happiness.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.121.19 (Wikisource 'उपलक्ष्यमसंशयम्', 'श्रीमन्तः प्राप्नुवन्त्यर्थान्' against CE 'upalabdham asaṃśayam', 'śrīmantam āpnuvanty arthā', recension variants; base reading kept).

Verse 22 (13.182.22)

सुखादेव परं दुःखं दुःखादन्यत्परं सुखम् । दृश्यते हि महाप्राज्ञ नियतं वै स्वभावतः ॥

sukhādeva paraṃ duḥkhaṃ duḥkhādanyatparaṃ sukham | dṛśyate hi mahāprājña niyataṃ vai svabhāvataḥ

After happiness comes sorrow, and after sorrow another happiness; this is seen, O greatly wise one, to be fixed by nature.

Verse 23 (13.182.23)

विविधानीह वृत्तानि नरस्याहुर्मनीषिणः । पुण्यमन्यत्पापमन्यन्न पुण्यं न च पापकम् ॥

vividhānīha vṛttāni narasyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ | puṇyamanyatpāpamanyanna puṇyaṃ na ca pāpakam

The wise speak of different kinds of conduct for a man here: one is meritorious, another sinful, and another neither merit nor sin.

Note on the text: Wikisource 'विविधानीह वृत्तानि' (of various kinds) against CE 21a 'trividhānīha vṛttāni' (of three kinds); recension variant, kept. Three kinds are in fact listed.

Verse 24 (13.182.24)

न वृत्तं मन्यतेऽन्यस्य मन्यतेऽन्यस्य पातकम् । यथा स्वकर्मनिर्वृत्तं न पुण्यं न च पापकम् ॥

na vṛttaṃ manyate'nyasya manyate'nyasya pātakam | yathā svakarmanirvṛttaṃ na puṇyaṃ na ca pāpakam

A man does not hold the conduct of one person to be right, and holds that of another to be sinful; and what is done out of one's own nature is likewise neither merit nor sin.

Note on the text: Wikisource 'पातकम्' and 'यथा स्वकर्म…' against CE 22a 'pāpakam' and 22c 'tathā svakarma…' (recension variants, kept).

Verse 25 (13.182.25)

यज्ञदानतपःशीला नरा वै पुण्यकर्मिणः । येऽभिद्रुह्यन्ति भूतानि ते वै पापकृतो जनाः ॥

yajñadānatapaḥśīlā narā vai puṇyakarmiṇaḥ | ye'bhidruhyanti bhūtāni te vai pāpakṛto janāḥ

People devoted to sacrifice, giving, austerity and good conduct are doers of merit; those who do harm to creatures are doers of sin.

Note on the text: Not a numbered verse of the critical edition: lines 1-2 are the CE star passage 13.121.022d*0609_01-02, printed after 22d (exact).

Verse 26 (13.182.26)

द्रव्याण्याददते चैव दुःखं यान्ति पतन्ति च । ततोऽन्यत्कर्म यत्किंचिन्न पुण्यं न च पातकम् ॥

dravyāṇyādadate caiva duḥkhaṃ yānti patanti ca | tato'nyatkarma yatkiṃcinna puṇyaṃ na ca pātakam

Those who take others' goods come to grief and fall; any action other than these is neither merit nor sin.

Note on the text: Not a numbered verse of the critical edition: lines 1-2 are the CE star passage 13.121.022d*0609_03-04 (exact).

Verse 27 (13.182.27)

नित्यं चाकृपणो भुङ्क्ते स्वजनैर्देहि याचतः । भाग्यक्षयेण क्षीयन्ते नोपभोगेन सञ्चयाः ॥

nityaṃ cākṛpaṇo bhuṅkte svajanairdehi yācataḥ | bhāgyakṣayeṇa kṣīyante nopabhogena sañcayāḥ

A man who is never niggardly always eats among his own people, and when anyone begs of him, says, "Give!" Hoards are used up through the waning of one's fortune, not through enjoyment.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick before line 1. Not a numbered verse of the critical edition: lines 1-2 are the CE star passage 13.121.022d*0610_01-02 (exact), printed after 22d.

Verse 28 (13.182.28)

रमस्वैधस्व मोदस्व देहि दाने रमस्व च । न त्वामतिभविष्यन्ति वैद्या न च तपस्विनः ॥

ramasvaidhasva modasva dehi dāne ramasva ca | na tvāmatibhaviṣyanti vaidyā na ca tapasvinaḥ

Enjoy yourself, prosper, rejoice; give, and take delight in giving. Neither the learned nor the ascetics will surpass you.

Note on the text: Wikisource 'देहि दाने रमस्व च', 'तपस्विनः' against CE 23a 'dehi caiva yajasva ca' (recension variant, kept).