Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 44
Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)
दत्त्वान्नं विधिवद् राजन विप्रेभ्यस्त्वमिति प्रभो | यथावदनुरूपेभ्यस्तत: स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि,राजन! प्रभो! तुम सुयोग्य ब्राह्मणोंको विधिपूर्वक अन्नका दान करके उसके पुण्यसे स्वर्गलोकको प्राप्त कर लोगे
dattvānnaṃ vidhivad rājan viprebhyas tvam iti prabho | yathāvad anurūpebhyas tataḥ svargam avāpsyasi, rājan ||
毗湿摩说道：“大王，主上——若你依照所规定的仪轨，恭敬施食于堪当的婆罗门，以此布施之功德，你必将得至天界，大王。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Properly performed charity—specifically the gift of food given according to prescribed norms and to worthy recipients—produces religious merit (puṇya) that leads to auspicious results, here expressed as attainment of svarga.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma, he addresses the king and recommends anna-dāna (food-giving) to suitable brāhmaṇas in a ritually correct way, assuring the king of the heavenly fruit of such conduct.