Shloka 133
Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
एते देया व्युष्टिमन्तो लघूपायाश्न भारत । भारत! जो ब्राह्मण यज्ञ करते हों
ete deyā vyuṣṭimanto laghūpāyāśna bhārata | bhārata yo brāhmaṇā yajñaṃ kurvanti tebhyo ghṛtam annaṃ hayayuktān rathādikāḥ savāryāḥ gṛhāḥ śayyādayaś ca vastūni dātavyāni | bharatanandana rājñe ete dānāni sulabhāni samṛddhiṃ vardhayanti |
Bhishma sprach: „O Bharata, diese Gaben sollen gegeben werden—Gaben von bleibendem Nutzen und leicht zu gewähren. Den Brahmanen, die Opferhandlungen vollziehen, soll man Ghee und Korn geben, Beförderungsmittel wie von Pferden gezogene Wagen, ebenso Häuser und Lagerstätten und ähnliche Notwendigkeiten. O Bester der Bharatas, für einen König sind solche Spenden leicht zu vollbringen und sie mehren den Wohlstand.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that a king should support sacrificial and religious activity through practical, life-sustaining gifts—food, ghee, transport, housing, and bedding—because such dāna is both feasible and increases prosperity (samṛddhi) while upholding dharma.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira about appropriate forms of charity, specifying what should be given to Brahmins engaged in yajña and emphasizing the king’s role in sustaining social and ritual order.