Shloka 13

Devanagari script

इति पञ्चविध॑ दान पुण्यकीर्तिविवर्धनम्‌ । यथाशकत्या प्रदातव्यमेवमाह प्रजापति:

Transliteration

iti pañcavidhaṁ dānaṁ puṇyakīrtivivardhanam | yathāśaktyā pradātavyam evam āha prajāpatiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Thus, this fivefold form of giving increases both merit and good renown. One should give according to one’s capacity—so declared Prajāpati.”

Word by Word

इतिthus

पञ्चविधम्fivefold

दानम्gift; giving; charity

पुण्यकीर्तिविवर्धनम्increasing holy merit and fame

यथाशकत्याaccording to one's ability

प्रदातव्यम्should be given

एवम्thus; in this manner

आहsaid

प्रजापतिःPrajāpati (the Lord of creatures)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Prajāpati

dāna (charitable giving)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity (dāna), especially understood here as fivefold, is a dharmic act that increases both spiritual merit (puṇya) and honorable reputation (kīrti). It should be practiced in proportion to one’s means (yathāśaktyā), emphasizing sincerity and capacity rather than display.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma, summarizing a teaching about the value of giving. He cites Prajāpati as an authoritative source, reinforcing that the prescribed approach to charity is to give according to one’s ability.