Shloka 57
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
पानीयस्य गुणा दिव्या: प्रेतलोकसुखावहा:,जलदान करनेका प्रभाव अत्यन्त अलौकिक है। वह परलोकमें सुख पहुँचानेवाला है। जो जलदान करते हैं उन पुण्यात्माओंके लिये उस मार्ममें पुष्पोदका नामवाली नदी प्राप्त होती है। वे उसका शीतल और अमृतके समान मधुर जल पीते हैं
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: pānīyasya guṇā divyāḥ pretalokasukhāvahāḥ; jaladāna-karaṇe kā prabhāvaḥ atyantaṃ alaukikaḥ, sa paraloke sukhaṃ prāpayati. ye jaladānaṃ kurvanti teṣāṃ puṇyātmanāṃ mārge puṣpodakā nāma nadī prāpyate; te tasyāḥ śītalaṃ amṛtasamaṃ madhuraṃ jalaṃ pibanti.
毗湿摩波耶那说道：“施与饮水之功德，神圣非凡，能在亡者之界带来安乐。布施清水之力确实奇绝，使人在彼世得以慰藉。凡行水施的善魂，其路途上将得见一条名为‘普湿波陀迦’（Puṣpodakā）的河；他们饮其清凉之水，甘甜如甘露。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Giving drinking water (jala-dāna) is presented as a highly meritorious act: it is compassionate in this world and yields comfort and auspicious support in the afterlife, symbolized by access to a refreshing, nectar-like river on the soul’s journey.
Vaiśampāyana describes the spiritual efficacy of water-charity, explaining that those who donate water gain post-mortem benefit: on their path they reach the river Puṣpodakā and drink its cool, sweet, nectar-like water.