Shloka 186
Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
तदर्थ जीवितं ते<स्तु मा तेभ्यो5प्रतिपालनम् । भारत! ब्राह्मणोंके पास जो वस्तु न हो
tadarthaṃ jīvitaṃ te 'stu mā tebhyo 'pratipālanam | bhārata! brāhmaṇoṃ ke pāsa jo vastu na ho, use unko denā aur jo ho usakī rakṣā karnā bhī tumhārā nitya kartavya hai | tumhārā jīvana unhīṃ kī sevā meṃ laga jānā cāhiye | unakī rakṣā se tumheṃ kabhī muṃha nahīṃ moṛnā cāhiye |
भीष्म उवाच—तदर्थं जीवितं तेऽस्तु मा तेभ्योऽप्रतिपालनम्। भारत, ब्राह्मणेभ्यो यदभावि तद्देयं, यच्चास्ति तस्य रक्षणं च तव नित्यं कर्तव्यम्। तव जीवनं तेषां सेवायां नियोज्यताम्; तेषां रक्षायां कदाचन मा विमुखो भव।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s steady dharma includes active support of Brahmins: provide what they lack (dāna), protect what they have (rakṣā), and treat their welfare as a lifelong commitment rather than an occasional act.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical governance and religious-social duties. Here he emphasizes unwavering responsibility toward Brahmins—service, provision, and protection—as part of righteous kingship.