Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 24

Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya

The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift

Devanagari script

एता जात्यस्तु वृक्षाणां तेषां रोपे गुणास्त्विमे । कीर्तिश्व मानुषे लोके प्रेत्य चैव फलं शुभम्‌

Transliteration

etā jātyas tu vṛkṣāṇāṁ teṣāṁ rope guṇās tv ime | kīrtiś ca mānuṣe loke pretya caiva phalaṁ śubham ||

Translation

Ito ang mga uri ng punò. Ngayon ay sasabihin ko ang mga kabutihang bunga ng pagtatanim ng mga ito. Ang nagtatanim ng punò ay nagkakamit ng di-napaparam na dangal sa daigdig ng tao, at pagpanaw ay tumatamo ng mainam at mapalad na gantimpala.

Word by Word

• {'etāḥ': 'these', 'jātyaḥ': 'kinds, species (classes by birth/nature)', 'tu': 'but, indeed (emphatic/contrastive particle)', 'vṛkṣāṇām': 'of trees', 'teṣām': 'of them', 'rope': "in the planting

• by planting (locative of 'ropa')", 'guṇāḥ': 'merits, virtues, beneficial qualities', 'ime': 'these (present, about to be described)', 'kīrtiḥ': 'fame, good reputation', 'ca': 'and', 'mānuṣe loke': 'in the human world', 'pretya': 'after departing (after death)', 'eva': 'indeed, certainly', 'phalam': 'fruit

• result, reward', 'śubham': 'auspicious, beneficial, good'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• trees (vṛkṣāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Planting trees is a dharmic act that benefits society and nature; it brings good reputation in this life and auspicious karmic reward after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, transitions from listing types of trees to explaining the spiritual and social benefits gained by those who plant them.