Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 18
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
सर्वभूतेषु यो विद्वान् ददात्यभयदक्षिणाम् । दाता भवति लोके स प्राणानां नात्र संशय:,जो विद्वान सब जीवोंको अभयदान कर देता है, वह इस संसारमें निःसंदेह प्राणदाता माना जाता है
sarvabhūteṣu yo vidvān dadāty abhayadakṣiṇām | dātā bhavati loke sa prāṇānāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：智者若向一切众生施与“无畏之施”，在此世间便成为赐命之人——对此毫无疑问。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Granting fearlessness—ensuring safety, non-violence, and protection to all beings—is portrayed as the highest form of giving, because it effectively preserves life. The verse equates removing fear with giving life (prāṇadāna), emphasizing dharma rooted in compassion and guardianship.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and the merits of various forms of charity and righteous conduct. Here he highlights abhayadakṣiṇā—bestowing security and freedom from fear upon all beings—as a supremely meritorious act, calling such a benefactor a ‘giver of life’ in the world.