Shloka 31

दानफलप्रकरणम् — उपानहदानं, तिलदानं, भूमिदानं, गोदानं, अन्नदानं च

Gifts and Their Stated Results: Footwear, Sesame, Land, Cows, and Food

Devanagari script

फालकृष्टां महीं दत्त्वा सबीजां सफलामपि । उदीर्ण वापि शरणं यथा भवति कामद:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | phālakṛṣṭāṃ mahīṃ dattvā sabījāṃ saphalām api | udīrṇaṃ vāpi śaraṇaṃ yathā bhavati kāmadaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Ai bố thí mảnh đất đã được cày bừa—có hạt giống, lại đang trĩu quả—hoặc dựng trao một ngôi nhà rộng rãi làm nơi nương náu, thì món thí ấy trở thành ‘điều thành tựu ước nguyện’: khiến mọi mục đích và mong cầu của người cho được viên mãn.”

Word by Word

• फालकृष्टाम्: ploughed (by a plough)
• फालकृष्टाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फालकृष्ट (फाल + कृष्)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महीम्: earth/land
• महीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• सबीजाम्: with seed(s)
• सबीजाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सबीज (स + बीज)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सफलाम्: fruitful/with produce
• सफलाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सफल (स + फल)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• उदीर्णम्: raised/lofty/large
• उदीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदीर्ण (उद् + ईर्ण; √ऋ/ईर्-भाव)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

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

• शरणम्: shelter/refuge (dwelling)
• शरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/so that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• भवति: becomes/is
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (भवति)
• Form: Present (लट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कामदः: wish-fulfilling (giver of desires)
• कामदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामद (काम + द)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• ploughed land
• seed
• crop/produce
• shelter/house

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Gifts that immediately support livelihood—productive farmland with seed and yield, or substantial shelter—are praised as highly meritorious and are said to lead to the fulfillment of the donor’s legitimate aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising on the fruits of different forms of dāna (charity), emphasizing the exceptional value of donating ready-to-use resources like cultivated land or a well-provisioned dwelling.