Shloka 24
Rājapurohita-lakṣaṇa and Purūravas–Vāyu Saṃvāda
Varṇa, Sovereignty, and Abhaya-dāna
तेषु भोगेषु सर्वेषु न भीतो लभते सुखम् | अभयस्य हि यो दाता तस्यैव सुमहत् फलम् | न हि प्राणसमं दान त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते
teṣu bhogeṣu sarveṣu na bhīto labhate sukham | abhayasya hi yo dātā tasyaiva sumahat phalam | na hi prāṇasamaṃ dāna triṣu lokeṣu vidyate ||
あらゆる享楽のうち、真の幸福を得るのは、恐れなき者のみである。無畏（アバヤ）を施す者は、きわめて大いなる果報を受ける。まことに三界において、命を施すこと——他者の命を救い、保つこと——に等しい布施はない。
ऐल उवाच
Educational Q&A
True happiness depends on freedom from fear, and the highest form of giving is to grant safety—especially by preserving another’s life. Such abhayadāna yields exceptionally great spiritual merit.
Aila speaks in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, emphasizing ethical instruction about charity and the supreme value of protecting others—teaching that giving fearlessness and safeguarding life surpasses ordinary pleasures and gifts.