Shloka 30
Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya
The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift
किन्नर, नाग, राक्षस, देवता, गन्धर्व, मनुष्य और ऋषियोंके समुदाय--ये सभी वृक्षोंका आश्रय लेते हैं ।।
Bhīṣma uvāca: kinnarā nāgā rākṣasā devatā gandharvā manuṣyā ṛṣīṇāṁ ca samūhāḥ—te sarve vṛkṣāṇām āśrayaṁ labhante. Puṣpitāḥ phalavantaś ca tṛpayantīha mānavān; vṛkṣadaṁ putravad vṛkṣās tārayanti paratra tu.
ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—କିନ୍ନର, ନାଗ, ରାକ୍ଷସ, ଦେବ, ଗନ୍ଧର୍ବ, ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଓ ଋଷିଗଣ—ଏ ସମସ୍ତେ ବୃକ୍ଷମାନଙ୍କୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରନ୍ତି। ପୁଷ୍ପିତ ଓ ଫଳବତୀ ବୃକ୍ଷ ଏହି ଲୋକରେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ତୃପ୍ତ କରେ; ଏବଂ ଯେ ବୃକ୍ଷଦାନ କରେ, ସେହି ବୃକ୍ଷମାନେ ପୁତ୍ରସମ ହୋଇ ପରଲୋକରେ ତାହାକୁ ତାରଣ କରନ୍ତି।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Trees are universal benefactors: they shelter all beings and nourish humans with flowers and fruits. Therefore, donating or planting trees is a high form of dāna that yields lasting merit, even becoming a source of ‘deliverance’ in the afterlife, metaphorically like sons who support and save a person.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and meritorious acts. Here he praises trees as shared refuge for many classes of beings and extols vṛkṣa-dāna (tree-giving/planting) as an ethically powerful deed with benefits in this life and the next.