Shloka 21
Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
यो रक्षिभ्य: सम्प्रदाय राजा राष्ट्र विलुम्पति । यज्ञे राष्ट्रादू धनं तस्मादानयध्वमिति ब्रुवन्
yo rakṣibhyaḥ sampradāya rājā rāṣṭraṃ vilumpati | yajñe rāṣṭrād dhanaṃ tasmād ānayadhvam iti bruvan |
Bhishma berkata: Seorang raja yang menyerahkan urusan kepada para penjaga dan pejabatnya, lalu menjarah negerinya sendiri, dan—dengan berkata demikian—memerintahkan para pelayan, “Bawalah uang dari kerajaan untuk yajña,” sesungguhnya merampok rakyatnya atas nama yajña. Dan bila ia melaksanakan yajña dengan harta yang dipungut secara kejam melalui ancaman atas perintahnya, yajña semacam itu tidak dipuji oleh para mulia dan arif; sebab upacara itu ternoda karena dibiayai penindasan, bukan jalan dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A religious act (yajña) does not become meritorious merely by its outward ritual form; its moral legitimacy depends on the means by which it is funded. Wealth taken by coercion from subjects corrupts the sacrifice, and the wise do not praise such a rite.
Bhishma criticizes a ruler who orders officials to collect money from the kingdom under the pretext of performing a sacrifice. The verse condemns the king’s exploitation of subjects and states that sacrifices performed with such forcibly extracted wealth are not approved by noble persons.