Shloka 11
Gopradāna-phalasaṃprāpti: Nāciketa’s Vision of Vaivasvata’s Realms (गोप्रदानफलसम्प्राप्तिः — नाचिकेतोपाख्यानम्)
तस्माद् विशिष्टां गच्छन्ति प्राणदा इति नःश्रुतम् । अन्न वापि प्रभवति पानीयात् कुरुसत्तम । नीरजातेन हि विना न किंचित् सम्प्रवर्तते
tasmād viśiṣṭāṁ gacchanti prāṇadā iti naḥ śrutam | annaṁ vāpi prabhavati pānīyāt kurusattama | nīrajātena hi vinā na kiñcit sampravartate kuruśreṣṭha |
ভীষ্ম ক’লে—কুৰুশ্ৰেষ্ঠ! সেয়ে আমি শুনিছোঁ যে প্ৰাণদান কৰা লোকসকলে বিশিষ্ট গতি লাভ কৰে। কিন্তু অন্নো জলৰ পৰাই উৎপন্ন হয়। জলজাত ধান্য নাথাকিলে একোৱেই চলিব নোৱাৰে, হে কুৰুসত্তম।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life-giving acts are supremely meritorious, and among life-supporting gifts, water is foundational because even food depends on water; without water-born grain, worldly activity cannot continue.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and gifts, he explains why giving water (and thereby sustaining life and enabling food) is considered a particularly powerful form of merit leading to an excellent spiritual outcome.