Shloka 12
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
युधिष्ठिर! संग्राममें युद्ध करना सहज है। परंतु दोषदृष्टिसे रहित होकर दान देना सहज नहीं है। संसारमें सैकड़ों शूरवीर हैं; परंतु उनकी गणना करते समय जो उनमें दानशूर हो, वही सबसे श्रेष्ठ माना जाता है ।।
yudhiṣṭhira! saṅgrāme yuddhaṁ kartum sahajaṁ hi; kintu doṣa-dṛṣṭi-rahitaḥ san dānaṁ dātum na sahajaṁ. loke śataśaḥ śūrāḥ santi; teṣāṁ gaṇanāyāṁ tu yaḥ dānaśūraḥ sa eva śreṣṭhaḥ manyate. dhanyaḥ syām yady ahaṁ bhūyaḥ, saumya, brāhmaṇo 'pi vā; kule jāto dharmagatis tapo-vidyā-parāyaṇaḥ.
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Yudhiṣṭhira, madali ang makipaglaban sa digmaan. Ngunit ang magbigay ng kawanggawa na malaya sa paghahanap ng mali at sa paghamak ay hindi madali. Ang daigdig ay may daan-daang bayani; subalit kapag binibilang ang mga bayani, ang bayani sa pagbibigay lamang ang itinuturing na pinakadakila. Ituturing kong tunay na pinagpala ang aking sarili, mahal na kaibigan, kung ako’y muling isisilang kahit bilang isang Brāhmaṇa—isinilang sa marangal na angkan, nakatuon sa landas ng dharma, at nakalaan sa pag-aayuno/ascetismo at pag-aaral.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma elevates generosity above martial valor: fighting may be easy, but giving without a fault-finding, contemptuous mindset is rare. True excellence among ‘heroes’ is the heroism of charity—dāna performed with inner purity and respect.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and contrasts battlefield heroism with ethical heroism. He praises the ‘dānaśūra’ as foremost and expresses that being reborn as a brahmin devoted to dharma, austerity, and learning would be a blessed state.