Shloka 40
दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च
Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food
सो<यं कृत्स्नो ब्राह्मणार्थो राजार्थश्वाप्पसंशय: । राजा हि धर्मकुशल: प्रथमं भूतिलक्षणम्
so ’yaṁ kṛtsno brāhmaṇārtho rājārthaś cāpy asaṁśayaḥ | rājā hi dharmakuśalaḥ prathamaṁ bhūtilakṣaṇam ||
ビーシュマは言った。「この一切の語りは、バラモンの益のため、また王の益のためにある――これに疑いはない。法（ダルマ）に通暁する王こそ、民の繁栄と光輝が起こることを告げる第一の、そして最上の徴である。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A society’s prosperity is rooted in righteous governance: the foremost indicator of public welfare is a ruler who is competent and steady in dharma. The instruction is framed as beneficial both to Brahmins (custodians of learning and ritual order) and to kings (agents of protection and administration).
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his counsel on dharma. Here he explicitly states that the discourse is directed to the welfare of both Brahmins and rulers, and he highlights a practical criterion of flourishing: a king who understands and upholds dharma.