Shloka 102
भूमिदानं समादद्याद् वाचकाय नराधिप । भूमिदानसमं दान॑ न भूतं न भविष्यति,नरेश्वर! वाचकके लिये भूमिदान तो अवश्य ही करना चाहिये; क्योंकि भूमिदानके समान दूसरा कोई दान न हुआ है, न होगा
vaiśampāyana uvāca | bhūmidānaṃ samādadyād vācakāya narādhipa | bhūmidānasamaṃ dānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati nareśvara ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, one should certainly undertake the gift of land for the reciter. For, O lord of men, no gift equal to the gift of land has existed in the past, nor will it exist in the future.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates bhūmidāna (donation of land) as the supreme form of charity, especially as patronage to a vācaka (reciter), emphasizing that sustaining livelihood and continuity of sacred learning is an unmatched dharmic gift.
In Vaiśampāyana’s discourse, guidance is being given to a king about proper religious giving; the instruction highlights what should be offered to the reciter connected with the narration/recitation of the epic and related rites—namely, a land-grant as the highest dakṣiṇā.