Shloka 32

ब्राह्माणं वृत्तिसम्पन्नमाहिताग्निं शुचिव्रतम्‌ । नर: प्रतिग्राह्म महीं न याति परमापदम्‌,जो सदाचारी, अग्निहोत्री और उत्तम व्रतमें संलग्न ब्राह्मणको पृथ्वीका दान करता है, वह कभी भारी विपत्तिमें नहीं पड़ता है

brāhmaṇaṁ vṛttisampannam āhitāgniṁ śucivratam | naraḥ pratigrāhya mahīṁ na yāti paramāpadam ||

Bhishma said: “A man who gives land in charity to a Brahmin—one established in righteous livelihood, who maintains the sacred fires, and who is devoted to pure vows—does not fall into the gravest calamity.”

ब्राह्माणम्a Brahmin
ब्राह्माणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
वृत्ति-सम्पन्नम्endowed with proper livelihood/conduct
वृत्ति-सम्पन्नम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootवृत्तिसम्पन्न
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आहित-अग्निम्one who has established the sacred fires
आहित-अग्निम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootआहिताग्नि
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
शुचि-व्रतम्of pure vows/observances
शुचि-व्रतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootशुचिव्रत
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
नरःa man
नरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रतिगृह्यhaving accepted/received
प्रतिगृह्य:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति-ग्रह्
FormAbsolutive (Gerund)
महीम्the earth/land
महीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमही
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
यातिgoes/attains
याति:
TypeVerb
Rootया
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular
परम-आपदम्the greatest calamity/misfortune
परम-आपदम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपरमापद्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
B
Brahmin (brāhmaṇa)
S
sacred fires (agni; āhitāgni)
L
land/earth (mahī)

Educational Q&A

Charity (especially the gift of land) yields strong protective merit when offered to a truly worthy Brahmin—one of disciplined vows, ritual responsibility, and righteous livelihood—so the donor is safeguarded from severe misfortune.

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he describes the fruit of a specific act of giving: donating land to a qualified Brahmin. The verse functions as a normative rule about proper recipients and the ethical efficacy of dāna.