Shloka 3
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
देवता: पूजयन्तीह दैवेनैवेह तेजसा । उपेत्य तस्माद् देवेभ्य: सर्वेभ्यो दापयेन्नर:
bhīṣma uvāca | devatāḥ pūjayantīha daivenaiveha tejasā | upetya tasmād devebhyaḥ sarvebhyo dāpayen naraḥ ||
Bhishma bersabda: “Di dunia ini para dewa sendiri memuliakan para Brahmana dengan daya dan cahaya ketetapan ilahi mereka. Karena itu, hendaknya seseorang mendatangi semua Brahmana dan memberi dana, dipersembahkan bagi seluruh dewa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Giving (dāna) to Brahmanas is presented as a dharmic act that also serves the gods; since the gods themselves honor Brahmanas through divine potency, humans should likewise approach Brahmanas and give, dedicating the gift to the deities.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he explains the religious-ethical rationale for charity: honoring and supporting Brahmanas through gifts is aligned with divine order and functions as devotion toward all gods.