Shloka 53
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
अकल्ककस्य विप्रस्य रौक्ष्यात् करकृतात्मन: । वटवो यस्य भिक्षन्ति तेभ्यो दत्त महाफलम्
akalkakasya viprasya raukṣyāt karakṛtātmanaḥ | vaṭavo yasya bhikṣanti tebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam ||
Bhishma berkata: Bila seorang brāhmana yang tanpa tipu daya, mengeras oleh kemiskinan yang amat, menerima sedikit makanan di tangannya dan anak-anaknya yang lapar segera memohon, “Berikan padaku, berikan padaku,” maka sedekah yang diberikan kepada brāhmana itu dan kepada anak-anaknya berbuah jasa rohani yang besar.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity directed to the truly needy—especially a guileless, impoverished brāhmaṇa and his hungry children—produces great merit; the recipient’s innocence and distress intensify the ethical value of the gift.
Bhishma is instructing on dharma of giving, describing a destitute brāhmaṇa whose children immediately beg for any food he obtains, and declaring that giving to such a household is supremely fruitful.