Shloka 5
गोप्रदान-भूमिदान-विधि
Gopradāna–Bhūmidāna Guidelines and Recipient Eligibility
सर्व तारयते वंशं यस्य खाते जलाशये । गाव: पिबन्ति विप्राश्न साधवक्ष नरा: सदा
sarvaṁ tārayate vaṁśaṁ yasya khāte jalāśaye | gāvaḥ pibanti viprāś ca sādhavaś ca narāḥ sadā ||
毗湿摩说：若有人令人开凿蓄水之所，使牛群、婆罗门与贤善之人常来饮水，则此水库能使其全族得以超拔，趋向福德与善果。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Establishing a water source for public use—especially benefiting cows, Brahmins, and the virtuous—is a high form of dharma. Its merit is enduring and is said to uplift not only the donor but the donor’s entire lineage.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (given to Yudhishthira in the Anushasana Parva), he praises acts of public beneficence. Here he highlights the religious and ethical value of having a pond or reservoir dug so that beings and worthy persons may drink from it regularly.