Shloka 15
Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya
The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift
निदाघकाले पानीयं तडागे यस्य तिष्ठति । वाजिमेधफलं तस्य फल वै मुनयो विदु:,जिसके तालाबमें ग्रीष्म ऋतुतक पानी रुका रहता है, उसे अश्वमेध यज्ञका फल प्राप्त होता है--ऐसा मुनियोंका मत है
nidāghakāle pānīyaṁ taḍāge yasya tiṣṭhati | vājimedhaphalaṁ tasya phalaṁ vai munayo viduḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: Bila pada musim panas yang terik pun air tetap bertahan di kolam seseorang, para resi menyatakan ia memperoleh pahala setara yajña Vājimedha (Aśvamedha).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ensuring a reliable supply of water for others—so that a pond retains water even through summer—is upheld as an exceptionally meritorious act, equated with the highest sacrificial reward (Aśvamedha).
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he cites the sages’ valuation of public-benefit works: maintaining a water reservoir is praised as yielding immense spiritual merit.