Shloka 10
Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya
The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift
वर्षाकाले तडागे तु सलिलं यस्य तिष्ठति । अग्निहोत्रफलं तस्य फलमाहुर्मनीषिण:,जिसके खोदवाये हुए तालाबमें बरसात भर पानी रहता है, उसके लिये मनीषी पुरुष अन्निहोत्रके फलकी प्राप्ति बताते हैं
varṣākāle taḍāge tu salilaṃ yasya tiṣṭhati | agnihotraphalaṃ tasya phalam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: For the person whose excavated pond retains water through the rainy season, the wise declare that the merit he gains is equal to the fruit of performing the Agnihotra sacrifice.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Creating and maintaining a water source for others—such as a pond that holds rainwater—is praised as a high form of dharma, yielding merit comparable to the revered Agnihotra sacrifice.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on righteous conduct and gifts (dāna), he extols the spiritual value of public-benefit works, specifically the digging of ponds that retain water, and equates their merit with a major Vedic rite.