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Shloka 74

दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च

Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food

दाता दशानुगृह्नाति दश हन्ति तथा क्षिपन्‌ | पूर्वदत्ता हरन्‌ भूमिं नरकायोपगच्छति

bhīṣma uvāca | dātā daśānugṛhṇāti daśa hanti tathā kṣipan | pūrvadattāṃ haran bhūmiṃ narakāyopagacchati ||

Dijo Bhīṣma: «Quien da (tierra en caridad) favorece a diez generaciones; pero quien da y luego la arrebata destruye a diez generaciones. Aquel que se apodera de una tierra previamente dada en don va al infierno.»

दाताthe giver
दाता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदातृ (√दा)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दशten
दश:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootदशन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अनुगृह्णातिfavors / benefits
अनुगृह्णाति:
TypeVerb
Root√ग्रह् (अनु-ग्रह्)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
दशten
दश:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootदशन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
हन्तिkills / destroys
हन्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√हन्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
तथाthus / likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
क्षिपन्one who throws away / casts off (i.e., snatches back)
क्षिपन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√क्षिप्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
पूर्वदत्ताम्previously given
पूर्वदत्ताम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्वदत्ता (पूर्व + दत्ता)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle) within compound
हरन्taking away / stealing
हरन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√हृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
भूमिम्land
भूमिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभूमि
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
नरकायto hell
नरकाय:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootनरक
FormMasculine, Dative, Singular
उपगच्छतिgoes / reaches
उपगच्छति:
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (उप-गम्)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
N
Naraka (hell)
B
Bhumi (land)

Educational Q&A

Land-giving (bhūmi-dāna) is a powerful meritorious act benefiting one’s lineage, but retracting a gift or seizing previously donated land is a grave adharma that brings ruin to one’s line and leads to hell.

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira about the moral weight of gifts—especially land-grants—warning against the severe consequences of taking back what has been given.