Shloka 15
बलिस्वाच सुमनोधूपदीपानां किं फल ब्रह्मवित्तम । प्रदानस्य द्विजश्रेष्ठ तद् भवान् वक्तुमहति
Baliḥ uvāca—sumanodūpadīpānāṁ kiṁ phalaṁ brahmaviduttama? pradānasya, dvijaśreṣṭha, tad bhavān vaktum arhati.
ບາລີ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ຮູ້ພຣະພຣະຫມັນອັນສູງສຸດ, ໂອ ທະວິຊະຜູ້ປະເສີດ! ການຖວາຍດອກໄມ້, ທູບ ແລະ ໂຄມໄຟ ມີຜົນອັນໃດ? ຂໍທ່ານເມດຕາອະທິບາຍບຸນກຸສົນແຫ່ງທານນັ້ນໃຫ້ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: it asks about the spiritual and ethical merit (phala) of simple devotional gifts—flowers, incense, and lamps—highlighting that even modest offerings, when given with reverence, are considered meaningful acts of dāna and worship.
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse on dharma, Bali poses a respectful question to a learned Brahmanical authority (addressed as brahmaviduttama and dvijaśreṣṭha), requesting an explanation of the results of offering flowers, incense, and lamps.