Shloka 11
Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti
Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order
यह पाँच प्रकारका दान पुण्य और कीर्तिको बढ़ानेवाला है। यथाशक्ति सबको दान देना चाहिये। ऐसा प्रजापतिका कथन है
etad dānaṁ pañcavidhaṁ puṇya-kīrti-vivardhanam | yathāśakti sarvebhyo dānaṁ dātavyam | iti prajāpateḥ vacanam |
Bhishma sprach: „Diese fünffache Art des Gebens mehrt sowohl Verdienst als auch guten Ruf. Man soll allen nach eigener Kraft geben—so lautet die Lehre, die Prajapati zugeschrieben wird.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity, especially understood as a fivefold discipline of giving, is praised as a means to increase both spiritual merit (puṇya) and honorable reputation (kīrti). One should give in proportion to one’s means (yathāśakti), making generosity sustainable and broadly inclusive.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on righteous conduct. Here he emphasizes the value of structured charity and supports it by citing Prajapati as an authoritative source.