Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
यावत: साधुधर्मान् वै सन्त: संवर्धयन्त्युत । सर्वस्वैश्वापि भर्तव्या नरा ये बहुकारिण:
yāvataḥ sādhudharmān vai santaḥ saṃvardhayanty uta | sarvasvaiś cāpi bhartavyā narā ye bahukāriṇaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Hangga’t ang mga banal at matutuwid ay patuloy na nagtataguyod at nagpapalago ng mga anyo ng dharma na wasto, ang gayong mga tao—na nagdudulot ng malaking pakinabang sa hari at sa kaharian—ay dapat alalayan at tustusan kahit pa kapalit nito ang buong yaman. Ang pagpapakain at pag-aaruga sa kanila ay hindi lamang kawanggawa kundi tungkulin, sapagkat ang kanilang pag-iral ang nagpapalakas sa asal at kaayusan ng bayan.
भीष्म उवाच
A ruler (and society) must materially support those virtuous people who actively promote and expand righteous conduct; even great expense is justified because their work sustains dharma and benefits the kingdom.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on righteous governance and conduct. Here he emphasizes the king’s obligation to maintain and honor beneficent, dharma-promoting persons, treating their support as a state duty tied to moral order.