Shloka 5
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
भीष्मजीने कहा--युधिष्ठिर! सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंकों अभयदान देना
bhīṣma uvāca—yudhiṣṭhira! sarva-prāṇibhyo ’bhaya-dānaṃ, saṅkaṭa-kāle teṣāṃ prati anugrahaḥ, yācakāya iṣṭa-vastu-pradānaṃ, tṛṣārtaṃ jalaṃ yācamānaṃ pāyayituṃ ca—etad uttamaṃ dānam. yat tu dattvā dattam eva manyeta, yatra kvacid api mamatā-gandho na tiṣṭhet, tad dānaṃ śreṣṭham ucyate. bharata-śreṣṭha! tad eva dānaṃ dātāram anusarati. hiraṇya-dānaṃ go-dānaṃ pṛthivī-dānam eva ca—etāni vai pavitrāṇi, tārayanty api duṣkṛtam.
毗湿摩说道：“尤提士提罗啊，最上之施，是赐一切众生以无畏——在危难之时施以怜悯，给求乞者以其所愿，并向为渴所逼、求水之人施水解渴。又那种布施，施出之后便当作已全然施尽，处处不留一丝占有之念的余味——此施方称殊胜。婆罗多族中最胜者啊，如此之施必随施者而行。此外，施金、施牛、施地——此三种为净化之施，甚至能使作恶者渡越（恶业的）后果。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The highest charity is compassionate protection and relief—especially granting fearlessness, helping in crisis, fulfilling a worthy request, and giving water to the thirsty. A gift becomes ‘supreme’ when it is given without any lingering possessiveness; such giving spiritually accompanies and elevates the giver. Traditional major purifying gifts include gold, cows, and land.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhishthira about the ethics of giving. He ranks forms of dāna, emphasizes inner renunciation (absence of mamatā) as the mark of superior charity, and then names three classical, highly meritorious gifts—gold, cows, and land.