Shloka 11
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 |
Bhishma berkata: “Oleh itu, kami telah mendengar bahawa mereka yang mengurniakan kehidupan akan mencapai keadaan yang luar biasa. Namun makanan pun berasal daripada air, wahai yang terbaik antara kaum Kuru. Sesungguhnya, tanpa bijirin yang lahir daripada air, tiada apa-apa pun dapat berlangsung, wahai yang terunggul antara kaum Kuru.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.