Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ दातव्यमेवेह प्रतिश्रुत्य युधिष्ठिर । यदीच्छेच्छो भनां जातिं प्राप्तुं भरतसत्तम,भरतश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठि!! इसलिये जो उत्तम योनिमें जन्म लेना चाहता हो, उसे ब्राह्मणको देनेकी प्रतिज्ञा की हुई वस्तु अवश्य दे डालनी चाहिये

Transliteration

tasmād dātavyam eveha pratiśrutya yudhiṣṭhira | yadīcchec chobhanāṁ jātiṁ prāptuṁ bharatasattama ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Therefore, O Yudhiṣṭhira, once a gift has been promised, it must certainly be given here in this very life. O best of the Bharatas, if one desires to attain a noble birth, one should unfailingly fulfill what has been pledged—especially what has been promised to a brāhmaṇa.”

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that reason

दातव्यम्must be given

एवindeed/only

इहhere/in this world

प्रतिश्रुत्यhaving promised

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

यदिif

इच्छेत्should wish/desire

शोभनाम्excellent/auspicious

जातिम्birth/condition of birth

प्राप्तुम्to obtain

भरतसत्तमO best of the Bharatas

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bharata (dynastic reference)

Brāhmaṇa (as recipient, implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A pledged gift becomes a moral obligation: once you have promised to give, you must fulfill it. Bhīṣma links fidelity to one’s word—especially in acts of dāna—to the cultivation of merit that leads to an auspicious future birth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he emphasizes the duty of honoring promises of charity, presenting it as a concrete ethical rule with karmic consequences.