Shloka 256
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
षष्ठमंशं क्रतोस्तस्य भूमिदान प्रचक्रिरे । पर्वतराज हिमालयके पास यज्ञ पूरा करके देवताओंने भूमिदान भी किया, जो उस यज्ञके छठे भागके बराबर पुण्यका जनक था
ṣaṣṭham aṁśaṁ kratos tasya bhūmidānaṁ pracakrire |
Bhīṣma dit : Ils accomplirent ensuite le don de terre (bhūmi-dāna), une offrande tenue pour produire un mérite égal au sixième de ce sacrifice. Dans le cadre éthique de l’Anuśāsana Parva, le vers souligne que le yajña ne s’achève pas par le seul rite : il est couronné par le dāna—surtout le bhūmi-dāna—par lequel le mérite sacrificiel est partagé et devient soutien de la société.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the ethical completion of sacrifice lies in generosity: bhūmi-dāna is presented as a high form of dāna whose merit is equated with a significant portion (one-sixth) of the yajña’s fruit, emphasizing redistribution and public welfare as integral to dharma.
Bhīṣma describes a sequence following a sacrifice: after the yajña, the performers undertake a land-gift. The statement quantifies its spiritual value, framing the donation as a major component of the sacrificial outcome.