Shloka 3

अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो व्यसने चाप्यनुग्रह: । यच्चाभिलषितं दद्यात्‌ तृषितायाभियाचते

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca: abhayaṁ sarvabhūtebhyo vyasane cāpy anugrahaḥ | yac cābhilaṣitaṁ dadyāt tṛṣitāyābhiyācate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Hãy ban cho mọi loài “vô úy” — sự không sợ hãi — và hãy tỏ lòng thương giúp ngay cả trong lúc hoạn nạn. Và khi người khát nước đến cầu xin, hãy cho điều họ mong cần, tùy theo khả năng của mình, để nỗi thiếu thốn của kẻ xin được giải tỏa thực sự.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• अभयम्: fearlessness, safety
• अभयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: to all beings
• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Plural

• व्यसने: in calamity, in distress
• व्यसने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अनुग्रहः: favor, kindness, assistance
• अनुग्रहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभिलषितम्: desired, wished-for
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिलषित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दद्यात्: should give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular

• तृषिताय: to one who is thirsty
• तृषिताय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृषित
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अभियाचते: who begs/requests (earnestly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is expressed through active benevolence: provide safety and non-threat (abhaya) to all beings, remain compassionate even amid hardship, and practice meaningful charity by giving in a way that genuinely meets the petitioner’s need.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct (dharma), he lists practical virtues—assuring others of safety, showing compassion during adversity, and giving to those who beg (especially the thirsty), emphasizing concrete, need-based generosity.