Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
उपच्छन्नं प्रकाशं वा वृत्त्या तान् प्रतिपालयेत् । जिन ब्राह्मणोंका आचरण निन्दित न हो
upacchannaṁ prakāśaṁ vā vṛttyā tān pratipālayet |
Bhishma sprach: „Solche Brahmanen soll man erhalten—sei es auf diskrete Weise oder offen—indem man für ihren Lebensunterhalt sorgt und sie fortwährend unterstützt, besonders dann, wenn ihr Wandel tadellos ist, sie aber aus Mangel an Existenzmitteln leiden. Der ethische Kern ist: Die Hüter der Gesellschaft müssen die Würdigen aktiv aufsuchen und ihre Versorgung sichern, ohne ihre Würde zu verletzen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Actively ensure the livelihood of deserving, blameless Brahmins; support may be given discreetly to preserve dignity or openly when appropriate, but it should be steady and protective in intent.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on dharma and social duties, emphasizing that those responsible for welfare should locate virtuous Brahmins in hardship and arrange their maintenance.