Shloka 38
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
तात! मुझे ब्राह्मण जितने प्रिय हैं, उतने मेरे पिता, तुम, पितामह, यह शरीर और जीवन भी प्रिय नहीं हैं ।।
tāta! brāhmaṇā yāvat me priyāḥ, tāvat me pitā tvam pitāmaha idaṁ śarīraṁ jīvitaṁ ca na priyam. tvattaḥ me priyataraḥ pṛthivyāṁ nāsti kaścana; tvatto 'pi me priyatarā brāhmaṇā bharatarṣabha.
Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi đứa trẻ yêu dấu! Brāhmaṇa đối với ta đáng quý đến mức cha ta, con, tổ phụ, thân xác này và cả mạng sống này cũng không quý bằng. Ôi bậc ưu tú của dòng Bharata! Trên cõi đất này, với ta không ai đáng yêu hơn con; thế nhưng các Brāhmaṇa còn đáng yêu với ta hơn cả con.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma ranks his affections to underline a dharmic priority: reverence for Brāhmaṇas—seen as bearers of Vedic learning, ritual authority, and moral guidance—stands above even personal bonds and self-preservation. The verse asserts that protecting and honoring the custodians of dharma is a higher duty than ordinary attachments.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs a Kuru prince (addressed as bharatarṣabha) on righteous conduct. Here he expresses deep personal affection for the listener, yet emphasizes that his commitment to Brāhmaṇas and the dharmic order is even greater, framing his counsel within the ethics of duty and social-religious responsibility.