Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
दाता कुप्यति नो दान्तस्तस्माद् दानात् परं दम: । यस्तु दद्यादकुप्यन् हि तस्य लोका: सनातना:
bhīṣma uvāca | dātā kupyati no dāntas tasmād dānāt paraṁ damaḥ | yas tu dadyād akupyan hi tasya lokāḥ sanātanāḥ ||
Bhishma dit : «Le donateur peut se mettre en colère, mais l’homme maître de lui ne le fait pas. C’est pourquoi la maîtrise de soi est plus haute que le simple don. Pourtant, celui qui donne sans colère atteint les mondes éternels.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity is valuable, but it can be tainted by anger or pride; true excellence lies in dama—steady self-restraint. The highest form of giving is giving without anger, which leads to enduring spiritual merit.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he contrasts external virtue (donation) with inner discipline (self-control), teaching that the moral quality of the giver’s mind—especially freedom from anger—determines the highest fruit of the act.