Shloka 43
Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
भीष्म उवाच नारदेनैवमुक्तो5हमदामन्नं सदा नृप । अनसूयुस्त्वमप्यन्नं तस्माद् देहि गतज्वर:
bhīṣma uvāca nāradenaivam ukto ’ham adām annaṃ sadā nṛpa | anasūyus tvam apy annaṃ tasmād dehi gata-jvaraḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô roi, lorsque Nārada m’enseigna ainsi la grandeur du don de nourriture, depuis lors je n’ai cessé d’en faire l’aumône. Toi aussi donc, sans envie ni esprit de reproche, donne toujours de la nourriture ; que la fièvre de ta détresse s’éteigne.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Food-giving (anna-dāna) is upheld as a powerful dharmic act; one should give without envy or fault-finding, and such generosity alleviates inner ‘fever’—distress and agitation.
Bhishma recalls that Narada taught him the greatness of donating food; he adopted the practice continually and now urges the king to do the same, abandoning jealousy and negativity.