Shloka 20
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
एष ते विततो यज्ञ: श्रद्धापूत: सदक्षिण: । विशिष्ट: सर्वयज्ञेभ्यो ददतस्तात वर्तताम्
eṣa te vitato yajñaḥ śraddhāpūtaḥ sadakṣiṇaḥ | viśiṣṭaḥ sarvayajñebhyo dadatastāta vartatām ||
Bhishma berkata: “Inilah yajna sedekahmu—terbentang luas—disucikan oleh śraddhā (iman) dan dilengkapi dengan dakṣiṇā (pemberian) yang wajar kepada yang layak. Ia mengatasi segala yajna yang lain. Wahai yang kukasihi, selama engkau terus memberi, semoga persembahan sucimu ini sentiasa berlangsung.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that generous giving, when performed with śraddhā (sincere faith) and accompanied by proper dakṣiṇā (appropriate gifts to the deserving), becomes a superior form of yajña—an ongoing ethical sacrifice that can surpass ritual offerings.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma praises the listener’s practice of charitable giving as a vast, faith-purified sacrifice and blesses it to continue unceasingly.