Shloka 28
Bhūmi-dānasya Māhātmya
The Pre-eminence of Land-Gift
पुष्प: सुरगणान् वृक्षा: फलैश्वापि तथा पितृन् | छायया चातिथ्थिं तात पूजयन्ति महीरुह:,तात! वृक्षणण अपने फूलोंसे देवताओंकी, फलोंसे पितरोंकी और छायासे अतिथियोंकी पूजा करते हैं
puṣpaiḥ suragaṇān vṛkṣāḥ phalaiś cāpi tathā pitṝn | chāyayā cātithiṃ tāta pūjayanti mahīruhāḥ ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi con yêu dấu, cây cối dùng hoa mà cúng dường chư thiên, dùng quả mà cúng dường tổ tiên, và dùng bóng mát mà kính đãi khách lữ hành. Vì thế, dẫu không lời nói, chúng vẫn nêu gương dharma bằng sự phụng sự rộng lượng đối với muôn loài.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is expressed through selfless giving: like trees that offer flowers, fruits, and shade without discrimination, a person should honor the divine, the ancestors, and guests through generous service and hospitality.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing on righteous conduct. Here he uses the example of trees to illustrate how one should naturally support and honor others—gods, ancestors, and guests—through beneficial offerings.