Shloka 29
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
कुलंभराननडुह: शतं शतान् धुर्यान् श्वेतान् सर्वशो5हं ददामि । प्रष्ाहीनां पीवराणां च ताव- दग्रया गृष्ट्यो धेनव: सुव्रताश्ष
Bhīṣma uvāca: kulaṁbharān anaḍuhaḥ śataṁ śatān dhuryān śvetān sarvaśo ’haṁ dadāmi | praṣṭhāhīnān pīvarāṇāṁ ca tāvad agryā gṛṣṭyo dhenavaḥ suvratāḥ ||
Bhishma dit : «Je donne, de toutes les manières, des centaines et des centaines de taureaux blancs, robustes, de trait—des bêtes capables de porter les charges d’un foyer. Et de même je donne d’excellentes vaches laitières : jeunes, bien en chair, venant de vêler pour la première fois, de bonne conduite et de belle observance—des vaches au lait abondant.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dāna as a central dharmic practice: giving valuable, livelihood-sustaining gifts (work-oxen and productive cows) with a generous, comprehensive intent. Such gifts support social welfare and are praised as ethically meritorious.
Bhishma, as the instructor on dharma in the Anushasana Parva, describes (or models) the act of lavish gifting—offering large numbers of strong white draught-bulls and excellent first-calved milch-cows—typical of royal or noble donations made in ritual and charitable contexts.