Shloka 51
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
तद्धभक्तास्तद्गृहा राजंस्तद्धलास्तदपाश्रया: । अर्थिनश्व भवन्त्यर्थे तेषु दत्त महाफलम्
tad-dharma-bhaktās tad-gṛhā rājan tad-balās tad-apāśrayāḥ | arthinaś ca bhavanty arthe teṣu dattaṁ mahāphalam, nareśvara ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai penguasa manusia, mereka yang berbakti kepada dharma itu sendiri, yang rumah tangganya berlandaskan dharma, yang kekuatannya ialah dharma, dan yang berlindung pada dharma—jika ketika terdesak mereka datang memohon pertolongan, maka pemberian kepada mereka menghasilkan buah pahala yang besar, wahai tuan manusia.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity becomes especially fruitful when directed to people firmly established in dharma—those whose devotion, household life, strength, and refuge are all grounded in righteous conduct—particularly when they seek help due to genuine necessity.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on gifts and conduct, Bhishma advises the king about worthy recipients of charity, emphasizing that giving to dharma-centered supplicants yields great results.