Shloka 91

दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च

Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food

Devanagari script

भूमिदानस्य पुण्यानि फल स्वर्ग: पुरंदर । हिरण्यपुष्पाश्नौीषध्य: कुशकाञ्चनशाद्धला:

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca | bhūmidānasya puṇyāni phalaṃ svargaḥ purandara | hiraṇyapuṣpā oṣadhayaḥ kuśakāñcanaśādvalāḥ ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: يا بوراندارا (إندرا)، إنّ فضائل التبرّع بالأرض تثمر جنّةً وسَماءً. ينال المرءُ عالماً تتفتّح فيه الأعشابُ الدوائية بزهورٍ من ذهب، وتبدو فيه عشبةُ الكوشا (kuśa) المقدّسة وحتى العشبُ كأنهما من ذهب. وهكذا يُمدَحُ إهداءُ الأرض بوصفه عملاً من أعمال الدَّرما بالغَ الثمرة، يورث نعيمًا رفيعًا ومباركًا.

Word by Word

• भूमि-दानस्य: of the gift of land
• भूमि-दानस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिदान
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पुण्यानि: merits (virtuous results)
• पुण्यानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरंदर: O Purandara (Indra)
• पुरंदर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हिरण्य-पुष्पा: having golden flowers
• हिरण्य-पुष्पा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्यपुष्प
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• औषध्यः: herbs/medicinal plants
• औषध्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• कुश-काञ्चन-शाद्वला: covered with golden kuśa-grass and turf
• कुश-काञ्चन-शाद्वला: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशकाञ्चनशाद्वल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भूमिः: land/ground
• भूमिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरंदर: O Purandara
• पुरंदर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Indra (Purandara)
• Svarga (heaven)
• Oṣadhis (medicinal plants)
• Kuśa grass

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that bhūmidāna (donating land) is a highly meritorious act whose karmic fruit is attainment of svarga, poetically described as a realm of golden, auspicious abundance—highlighting the ethical value of generosity and support of livelihood/ritual life through land-gift.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, especially gifts and their fruits. Here he addresses Indra (Purandara) while describing the heavenly rewards associated with the donation of land.