Shloka 18
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
दातव्यमित्ययं धर्म उक्तो भूतहिते रतै: । त॑ मन्यन्ते धनयुता: कृपणै: सम्प्रवर्तितम्
dātavyam ity ayaṁ dharma ukto bhūtahite rataiḥ | taṁ manyante dhanayutāḥ kṛpaṇaiḥ sampravartitam ||
Bhīṣma dit : Les hommes magnanimes, voués au bien de tous les êtres, ont proclamé : « Il faut donner », et l’ont ainsi établi comme dharma. Pourtant, beaucoup de ceux qui possèdent des richesses s’imaginent que cet enseignement n’est qu’une règle poussée par les pauvres.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Giving (dāna) is affirmed as dharma by those committed to the welfare of all beings; the verse critiques the cynical view that charity is merely a doctrine invented or pushed by the poor.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhishma addresses attitudes toward dāna, contrasting the authority of compassionate sages with the suspicion of some wealthy people.