Shloka 21
Tilā-Dāna, Dīpa-Dāna, and Nitya-Jalapradāna
Yama–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda) | तिलदान-दीपदान-नित्यजलप्रदान (यम-ब्राह्मण संवाद
दत्त्वा यथोक्तं विप्रेभ्यो वृत्तिमिष्टां स विन्दति । नरकादींश्व॒ संक्लेशान् नाप्रोतीति विनिश्चय:
dattvā yathoktaṃ viprebhyo vṛttim iṣṭāṃ sa vindati | narakādīṃś ca saṃkleśān nāprāpnotīti viniścayaḥ ||
Nārada said: “When a person gives to the Brahmins the prescribed livelihood-support (vṛtti), he gains the welfare and sustenance he desires. It is a settled conclusion that he does not fall into the torments beginning with hell.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Giving the prescribed support (vṛtti) to Brahmins, in accordance with scriptural injunctions, yields desired benefit and is said to protect one from severe post-mortem sufferings such as hell.
Nārada is delivering a doctrinal statement within Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, emphasizing the karmic fruit of properly directed charity—specifically, sustaining vipras as enjoined.