Shloka 13
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
आशिषं ये न देवेषु न च मर्त्येषु कुर्वते । अर्लन्तो नित्यसंतुष्टास्तथा लब्धोपजीविन:
āśiṣaṃ ye na deveṣu na ca martyeṣu kurvate | alpa-icchantō nitya-santuṣṭās tathā labdhopajīvinaḥ |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, carilah—melalui para utusanmu—para dwija yang mulia, yang tidak memohon apa pun kepada dewa maupun manusia, yang berkeinginan sedikit, senantiasa puas, dan hidup dari apa yang datang. Wahai Bhārata, bila mereka terhimpit derita, mereka dapat menjadi mengerikan laksana ular berbisa; maka lindungilah dirimu dengan memuliakan mereka. Wahai keturunan Kuru, undanglah mereka ke rumah yang menyenangkan, lengkap dengan pelayan dan keperluan, dan berikanlah jamuan serta penghormatan yang sempurna setiap hari.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should actively seek out and honor truly renunciant, content Brahmins who ask nothing of gods or men and live on what comes. Their goodwill safeguards the king; neglecting or offending them can invite grave harm, so daily, complete hospitality is presented as a practical expression of dharma and self-protection.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on royal conduct and dharma. Here he urges the king to locate such ascetic, low-desire Brahmins via messengers, invite them into a well-provisioned home, and honor them continually—warning that if they are made unhappy they may become dangerously wrathful, like venomous serpents.