Shloka 57

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

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

Devanagari script

(ब्राह्माणार्थे गवार्थे वा राष्ट्रघातेडथ स्वामिन: । कुलस्त्रीणां परिभवे मृतास्ते भूमिदै: समा: ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

brāhmaṇārthe gavārthe vā rāṣṭraghāte ’tha svāminaḥ |

kulastrīṇāṃ paribhave mṛtās te bhūmidaiḥ samāḥ ||

ye śūrā nihatā yuddhe svaryātā raṇagṛddhinaḥ |

sarve te vibudhaśreṣṭha nātikrāmanti bhūmidam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Những ai ngã xuống nơi chiến địa để bảo hộ Bà-la-môn, bảo hộ bò, giữ gìn quốc độ khi đứng trước hiểm họa diệt vong, đứng về phía chủ quân của mình, và ngăn sự sỉ nhục đối với các phụ nữ dòng dõi—những người ấy có công đức ngang với kẻ bố thí đất. Hỡi bậc hiền trí tối thượng, hết thảy các dũng sĩ ấy, bị giết trong chiến trận mà lòng vẫn hướng về cuộc giao tranh, đều lên cõi trời và không hề kém phần quả báo so với người hiến đất.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणार्थे: for the sake of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणार्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• गवार्थे: for the sake of cows
• गवार्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• राष्ट्रघाते: in (the event of) destruction of the kingdom
• राष्ट्रघाते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्रघात
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• स्वामिनः: of the lord/master
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कुलस्त्रीणाम्: of noble women (women of good families)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलस्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• परिभवे: in insult/outrage
• परिभवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिभव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मृताः: dead (having died)
• मृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भूमिदैः: with/like land-givers (donors of land)
• भूमिदैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• समाः: equal
• समाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शूराः: heroes/brave men
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निहताः: slain
• निहताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्वर्याता: gone to heaven
• स्वर्याता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्यात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रणगृद्धिनः: eager for battle
• रणगृद्धिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रणगृद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विबुधश्रेष्ठ: O best of the wise/gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुधश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अतिक्रामन्ति: surpass/overstep
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भूमिदम्: the land-giver (donor of land)
• भूमिदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmins
• cows
• kingdom (rāṣṭra)
• lord/master (svāmin)
• noble women (kulastrī)
• land-donor (bhūmida)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma equates self-sacrifice in a righteous protective war—defending Brahmins, cows, the kingdom, one’s rightful lord, and the honor of respectable women—with the high religious merit of land-donation. The verse frames such death as dharmic and heaven-leading, emphasizing protection as a supreme duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he praises warriors who die while protecting key pillars of social and moral order, stating that their spiritual reward matches that of celebrated charitable acts like gifting land.