Shloka 64
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
सुकृच्छामापदं प्राप्तश्नान्नद: पुरुषस्तरेत् । पापं तरति चैवेह दुष्कृतं चापकर्षति
sukṛcchrām āpadaṃ prāptaś chānna-daḥ puruṣas taret | pāpaṃ tarati caiveha duṣkṛtaṃ cāpakarṣati ||
Bhīṣma enseigne que celui qui donne la nourriture (anna-dāna, le don qui soutient autrui par le nourrissement) peut franchir même la calamité la plus terrible lorsqu’elle s’abat sur lui. En cette vie même, il dépasse le péché, et il écarte encore et détruit les effets ainsi que les tendances des fautes à venir.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma states that giving food is a powerful dharmic act: it helps the giver overcome severe adversity, purifies existing sin, and diminishes the force of future wrongdoing by strengthening merit and ethical disposition.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira about the fruits of charity. Here he highlights anna-dāna as especially efficacious, portraying it as a safeguard in times of crisis and a means of moral cleansing.