Shloka 15
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
अतः तिलदान सब दानोंसे बढ़कर है। तिलदान यहाँ सब दानोंमें अक्षय फल देनेवाला बताया जाता है ।।
ucchinne tu purā havye kuśikarṣiḥ parantapaḥ | tilair agni-trayaṁ hutvā prāptavān gatim uttamām ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Maka sebab itu sedekah biji bijan mengatasi segala sedekah. Di sini ia diajarkan memberi hasil ‘tidak binasa’. Pada zaman dahulu, ketika havis (persembahan korban) telah habis, resi-raja Kuśika—seorang pertapa yang menyala semangatnya—mempersembahkan biji bijan ke dalam tiga api suci dan memuaskan ketiganya. Dengan perbuatan itu ia mencapai keadaan tertinggi. Ajarannya: tiladāna dan persembahan bijan, bila dilakukan dengan niat dharma, amat mujarab dan melahirkan pahala yang kekal.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sesame (tila) used in donation and fire-offering is praised as especially potent: even when standard oblations are unavailable, a sincere dharmic offering of tila can sustain ritual duty and yield enduring spiritual merit, culminating in ‘uttamā gati’ (the highest attainment).
Bhishma cites an ancient precedent: when the sacrificial havis was depleted, the royal sage Kuśika performed the required offerings using sesame seeds into the three sacred fires, satisfied them, and as a result attained the supreme state—supporting Bhishma’s praise of tiladāna and tila-offerings.