Shloka 26
Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya
The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift
अतीतानागते चोभे पितृवंशं च भारत । तारयेद् वृक्षरोपी च तस्माद् वक्षांश्ष रोपयेत्
atītānāgate cobhe pitṛvaṁśaṁ ca bhārata | tārayet vṛkṣaropī ca tasmād vṛkṣāṁś ca ropayet bharatanandana ||
Wahai Bhārata, penanam pohon menjadi penyelamat bagi mereka yang telah berlalu dan bagi mereka yang akan datang, bahkan bagi seluruh garis leluhur. Karena itu, wahai kebanggaan wangsa Bharata, hendaknya orang sungguh-sungguh menanam pohon.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Planting trees is presented as a powerful dharmic act whose benefit extends beyond the individual to ancestors, descendants, and the whole lineage—an ethical duty with long-term, life-sustaining consequences.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and merit-producing deeds, here emphasizing tree-planting as a means of welfare and spiritual uplift for one’s family line across time.