Shloka 37
Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna
Utility Gifts
जीवन्तं त्वानुजीवन्तु प्रजा: सर्वा युधिष्ठिर । पर्जन्यमिव भूतानि महाद्रुममिवाण्डजा:
jīvantaṃ tvānujīvantu prajāḥ sarvā yudhiṣṭhira | parjanyam iva bhūtāni mahādrumam ivāṇḍajāḥ ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, nawa’y mabuhay ang lahat ng iyong nasasakupan sa pag-iral ng iyong buhay at umunlad na kasama mo. Gaya ng mga nilalang na umaasa sa ulan, at gaya ng mga ibong umaasa sa isang malaking punò, gayon nawa’y umasa sa iyo ang bayan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma is to sustain and protect the people so thoroughly that their livelihood and security naturally depend on him—like all beings relying on rain and birds relying on a great tree. The verse frames rulership as responsibility and nourishment, not mere power.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance. Here he offers a benediction and a vivid simile, expressing that Yudhiṣṭhira’s continued life and just rule should enable the prosperity of all subjects.