Shloka 71
दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च
Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food
इन्द्र! मनुष्य पृथ्वीका दान करनेके साथ ही समुद्र, नदी, पर्वत और सम्पूर्ण वन--इन सबका दान कर देता है (अर्थात् इन सबके दानका फल प्राप्त कर लेता है) ।।
indra! manuṣyaḥ pṛthivyā dānaṃ kṛtvā samudra-nadī-parvata-samasta-vana-sarvasyaiva dāna-phalaṃ prāpnoti. taḍāgāny udapānāni srotāṃsi ca sarāṃsi ca, sneḥān sarva-rasāṃś caiva dadāti vasudhāṃ dadat.
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Indra, orang yang mendanakan bumi (tanah) memperoleh pahala seolah-olah ia juga telah mendanakan samudra, sungai, gunung, dan seluruh rimba. Bahkan, ia dipandang telah menganugerahkan kolam, sumur, mata air dan aliran, danau, bahan-bahan penguat seperti ghee, serta segala macam sari dan rasa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that donating land is an exceptionally comprehensive form of charity because land sustains waters, forests, and all sources of nourishment; therefore its gift is credited with the merit of many other life-supporting gifts.
In Anushasana Parva’s discourse on dāna-dharma, Bhishma instructs (addressing ‘Indra’ as a lofty addressee) that the donor of land receives the fruits of donating multiple natural resources—waters, forests, and nourishing substances—emphasizing the exalted status of land-gift.