Shloka 11
Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
यावत: साधुधर्मान् वै सन्त: संवर्धयन्त्युत । सर्वस्वैश्वापि भर्तव्या नरा ये बहुकारिण:
yāvataḥ sādhudharmān vai santaḥ saṃvardhayanty uta | sarvasvaiś cāpi bhartavyā narā ye bahukāriṇaḥ ||
Dijo Bhishma: Mientras los virtuosos sostengan y hagan prosperar las formas justas del dharma, a tales hombres—que prestan gran beneficio al rey y al reino—debe dárseles amparo y sustento, aun a costa de toda la riqueza propia. Su manutención no es limosna, sino deber, pues su sola presencia fortalece la moral pública y el orden.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler (and society) must materially support those virtuous people who actively promote and expand righteous conduct; even great expense is justified because their work sustains dharma and benefits the kingdom.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on righteous governance and conduct. Here he emphasizes the king’s obligation to maintain and honor beneficent, dharma-promoting persons, treating their support as a state duty tied to moral order.