Shloka 7
Brahmapūjā-kāraṇa-prśnaḥ and Keśava–Viṣvaksena-stuti
Question on Brahmin veneration; hymn on Kṛṣṇa as cosmic order
ददाति वा दास्यति वा महां दत्तमनेन वा | इत्यर्थिभ्यो निशम्यैव सर्व दातव्यमर्थिने
dadāti vā dāsyati vā mahāṁ dattam anena vā | ity arthibhyo niśamyaiva sarvaṁ dātavyam arthine ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಯಾಚಕರ ಬಾಯಿಂದ ‘ಇವನು ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾನೆ’, ‘ಇವನು ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾನೆ’ ಅಥವಾ ‘ಇವನು ನನಗೆ ಮಹಾದಾನ ಕೊಟ್ಟನು’ ಎಂಬ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೇಳಿದರೂ, ತನ್ನ ಕೀರ್ತಿವೃದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು ಬಯಸಿ, ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬ ಯಾಚಕನಿಗೂ ಅವನು ಬಯಸಿದಂತೆ ಕೇಳಿದುದನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ದಾನ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that generosity should be prompt and expansive: even hearing that one is known as a giver should move one to give to supplicants according to their need/desire, cultivating dharma and worthy fame (kīrti).
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (especially dāna-dharma), he describes how a person should respond to petitioners: when their words indicate expectation of one’s generosity, one should fulfill their requests and give liberally.