Shloka 17
Taḍāga-Phala and Vṛkṣāropaṇa
Merit of Ponds and Tree-Planting
तस्मात् प्रयच्छ विप्रेषु छत्रोपानहमुत्तमम् । धर्मस्तेषु महान् भावी न मे<त्रास्ति विचारणा
tasmāt prayaccha vipreṣu chatropānaham uttamam | dharmas teṣu mahān bhāvī na me 'trāsti vicāraṇā ||
Oleh itu, berikanlah kepada para Brahmin payung dan alas kaki yang terbaik. Daripada pemberian itu akan lahir kebajikan dharma yang besar; tentang hal ini aku tidak sedikit pun ragu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that practical, need-based gifts—such as umbrellas and footwear—given to Brahmins are a form of dharmic charity that yields great religious merit, and he affirms this without hesitation.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he recommends specific charitable acts to the listener, emphasizing that such offerings generate significant dharma and expressing certainty about their value.