Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19

Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya

The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift

Devanagari script

दुर्लभ सलिलं तात विशेषेण परत्र वै पानीयस्य प्रदानेन प्रीतिर्भवति शाश्वती

Transliteration

durlabhaṃ salilaṃ tāta viśeṣeṇa paratra vai | pānīyasya pradānena prītir bhavati śāśvatī ||

Translation

Wika ni Bhishma: Anak ko, ang tubig ay isang bihirang kayamanan—lalo na sa daigdig sa kabila. Doon, ang mga nagkaloob ng inuming tubig ay nagtatamo ng walang kupas na kasiyahan, sapagkat ang ganti ng pag-aalay ng tubig ay nagiging bukal ng pangmatagalang kapanatagan.

Word by Word

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तात: dear one / son (vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विशेषेण: especially, in particular
• विशेषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• परत्र: there, in the other world
• परत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पानीयस्य: of drinking-water
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रदानेन: by (the act of) giving
• प्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रीतिः: satisfaction, delight
• प्रीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: arises / becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शाश्वती: eternal, lasting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तात: dear one (vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• tāta (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Giving drinking-water (pānīya-dāna) is a high form of charity because water sustains life; its merit is said to yield enduring satisfaction, especially in the afterlife where water is portrayed as scarce.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the fruits of various gifts. Here he emphasizes the special spiritual value of donating water, linking it to lasting contentment in the next world.