Shloka 16
दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च
Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food
ये चान्ये भूमिमिच्छेयु: कुर्युरेवं न संशय: । यः साधोर्भूमिमादत्ते न भूमिं विन्दते तु सः
ye cānye bhūmim iccheyuḥ kuryur evaṃ na saṃśayaḥ | yaḥ sādhōr bhūmim ādatte na bhūmiṃ vindate tu saḥ ||
قال بهيشما: وكذلك سائر الناس، من رغب أن ينال الأرض في مولدٍ آتٍ، فليهب الأرض في هذه الحياة على هذا النحو—ولا شك في ذلك. أما من يستولي بالخديعة أو بالقوة على أرض رجلٍ فاضل، فإنه لا ينال الأرض كرزقٍ مبارك، بل يُحرم منفعتها الحقة.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that one who desires prosperity and rightful possession of land should practice bhūmi-dāna (donation of land) and that forcibly or deceitfully taking a virtuous person’s land leads to loss of merit and failure to truly attain land’s benefits.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira within the Anushasana Parva’s dharma-teachings, he emphasizes the religious-ethical value of land-gifting and condemns land-grabbing from the righteous as adharma with negative karmic consequences.