Shloka 16

अन्नदानफलं (Anna-dāna-phala) / The Fruit of Food-Giving

Devanagari script

अहन्यहनि तद्भावमुपेन्द्रं योडथिगच्छति । समाप्ते भोजयेद्‌ विप्रानथवा दापयेद्‌ घृतम्‌

Transliteration

ahany ahani tadbhāvam upendraṁ yo ’dhigacchati | samāpte bhojayed viprān athavā dāpayet ghṛtam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Ai ngày qua ngày đạt được trạng thái sùng kính hướng về Upendra (Viṣṇu) thì sẽ đạt đến chính cảnh giới của Viṣṇu. Khi hoàn mãn lời nguyện này, người ấy nên thết đãi các Bà-la-môn, hoặc nếu không thì bố thí bơ tinh luyện (ghee) cho họ.”

Word by Word

• अहनि: on a day
• अहनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अहनि: on (each) day
• अहनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तत्-भावम्: that state/identity (i.e., his nature)
• तत्-भावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्भाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपेन्द्रम्: Upendra (Vishnu)
• उपेन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अधिगच्छति: attains, reaches
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• समाप्ते: when (it is) completed; at the completion
• समाप्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाप्त
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भोजयेत्: should feed (cause to eat)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative

• विप्रान्: brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अथवा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा

• दापयेत्: should cause (them) to give / should give (as donation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Upendra (Vishnu)
• Brahmins (viprāḥ)
• ghee (ghṛta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steady daily devotion to Vishnu (Upendra) transforms the practitioner toward Vishnu’s own state; the observance should culminate in ethical giving—feeding Brahmins or donating ghee—linking inner devotion with outward generosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he describes the fruit of a Vishnu-centered vow practiced daily and prescribes the proper concluding act (udvāsana): hospitality to Brahmins or a ghee donation as a formal completion of the rite.