Shloka 19
Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya
The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift
दुर्लभ सलिलं तात विशेषेण परत्र वै पानीयस्य प्रदानेन प्रीतिर्भवति शाश्वती
durlabhaṃ salilaṃ tāta viśeṣeṇa paratra vai | pānīyasya pradānena prītir bhavati śāśvatī ||
Bhishma said: Water, dear child, is a rare treasure—especially in the world beyond. There, those who have given drinking-water find enduring satisfaction, for the merit of offering water becomes a lasting source of contentment.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Giving drinking-water (pānīya-dāna) is a high form of charity because water sustains life; its merit is said to yield enduring satisfaction, especially in the afterlife where water is portrayed as scarce.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the fruits of various gifts. Here he emphasizes the special spiritual value of donating water, linking it to lasting contentment in the next world.