Shloka 72
दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च
Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food
ओषधीर्वीर्यसम्पन्ना नगान् पुष्पफलान्वितान् । काननोपलशैलांश्व ददाति वसुधां ददत्
oṣadhīr vīryasampannā nagān puṣpaphalānvitān | kānanopalśailāṃś ca dadāti vasudhāṃ dadat ||
Bhishma berkata: “Ketika seseorang memberikan tanah sebagai dana, ia dipahami turut menganugerahkan tumbuhan obat yang berkhasiat, pepohonan yang sarat bunga dan buah, rimba, bebatuan, dan pegunungan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The gift of land (vasudhā-dāna) is comprehensive: it includes not only the ground but also the herbs, fruit-bearing trees, forests, stones, and mountains connected with it. Therefore it is a major act of charity with broad ethical and social significance.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dāna-dharma (the duty and principles of giving), he explains the scope of ‘giving land’ by listing the natural resources and features that are implicitly transferred along with the land.