Shloka 20

Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya

The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift

Devanagari script

तिलान्‌ ददत पानीयं दीपान्‌ ददत जाग्रत । ज्ञातिभि: सह मोदध्वमेतत्‌ प्रेत्य सुदुर्लभम्‌

Transliteration

tilān dadat pānīyaṃ dīpān dadat jāgrata | jñātibhiḥ saha modadhvam etat pretya sudurlabham ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Hãy bố thí vừng; hãy bố thí nước uống; hãy bố thí đèn. Hãy tỉnh thức, luôn cảnh giác với bổn phận. Hãy vui cùng quyến thuộc—cơ hội hòa thuận như thế, sau khi rời cõi đời này, thật vô cùng khó được.

Word by Word

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ददत: give (you all should give)
• ददत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Plural

• पानीयम्: drinking water
• पानीयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दीपान्: lamps
• दीपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ददत: give (you all should give)
• ददत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Plural

• जाग्रत: be awake / be vigilant
• जाग्रत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (जागर्ति)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Plural

• ज्ञातिभिः: with kinsmen/relatives
• ज्ञातिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• मोदध्वम्: rejoice (you all should rejoice)
• मोदध्वम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद् (मोदते)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Plural, Ātmanepada

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• प्रेत्य: after departing (after death)
• प्रेत्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-इ (इति)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• sesame seeds (tila)
• drinking water (pānīya)
• lamps (dīpa)
• kinsmen/relatives (jñāti)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma urges practical dharma through acts of giving—sesame, water, and lamps—paired with moral vigilance. He also emphasizes valuing life with one’s relatives, since such a chance for shared joy and duty is rare after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma while lying on the bed of arrows. This verse is part of his counsel on meritorious gifts and right conduct, linking everyday charity and alertness to the fleeting nature of human life.