Gopradāna-phalasaṃprāpti: Nāciketa’s Vision of Vaivasvata’s Realms (गोप्रदानफलसम्प्राप्तिः — नाचिकेतोपाख्यानम्)
तस्माद् विशिष्टां गच्छन्ति प्राणदा इति नःश्रुतम् । अन्न वापि प्रभवति पानीयात् कुरुसत्तम । नीरजातेन हि विना न किंचित् सम्प्रवर्तते
tasmād viśiṣṭāṁ gacchanti prāṇadā iti naḥ śrutam | annaṁ vāpi prabhavati pānīyāt kurusattama | nīrajātena hi vinā na kiñcit sampravartate kuruśreṣṭha |
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ຍິນວ່າ ຜູ້ປະທານຊີວິດ ຍ່ອມໄດ້ຮັບສະຖານະອັນພິເສດ. ແຕ່ອາຫານກໍເກີດຈາກນ້ຳເຊັ່ນກັນ, ໂອ ຜູ້ດີເລີດໃນວົງກຸຣຸ. ແທ້ຈິງ ຖ້າບໍ່ມີເຂົ້າເມັດທີ່ເກີດຈາກນ້ຳ ກໍບໍ່ມີສິ່ງໃດຈະດຳເນີນໄປໄດ້, ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນວົງກຸຣຸ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Life-giving acts are supremely meritorious, and among life-supporting gifts, water is foundational because even food depends on water; without water-born grain, worldly activity cannot continue.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and gifts, he explains why giving water (and thereby sustaining life and enabling food) is considered a particularly powerful form of merit leading to an excellent spiritual outcome.