Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 67

MBh 9 67.1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच श्रुतं दानफलं तात यत् त्वया परिकीर्तितम्। अन्नदानं विशेषेण प्रशस्तमिह भारत॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca śrutaṃ dānaphalaṃ tāta yat tvayā parikīrtitam| annadānaṃ viśeṣeṇa praśastamiha bhārata||

Yudhishthira said I have heard, O sire, of the merits of the different kinds of gift which you have described to me. I understand, O Bharata, that the gift of food is especially praiseworthy and superior.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.2

पानीयदानमेवैतत् कथं चेह महाफलम्। इत्येतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि विस्तरेण पितामह॥

pānīyadānamevaitat kathaṃ ceha mahāphalam| ityetacchrotumicchāmi vistareṇa pitāmaha||

What, however, are the great merits of making gifts of drink. I wish to hear of this in full, O grandfather.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.3

भीष्म उवाच हन्त ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथावद् भरतर्षभ। गदतस्तन्ममाघेह शृणु सत्यपराक्रम॥

bhīṣma uvāca hanta te vartayiṣyāmi yathāvad bharatarṣabha| gadatastanmamāgheha śṛṇu satyaparākrama||

Bhishma said I shall, O chief of Bharata's race. relate to you this subject. Listen to ine, O you of unbaffled prowess, as I speak to you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.4

पानीयदानात् प्रभृति सर्वं वक्ष्यामि तेऽनघ। यदन्नं यच्च पानीयं सम्प्रदायाश्नुते नरः॥ न तस्मात् परमं दानं किंचिदस्तीति मे मनः। अन्नात् प्राणभृतस्तात प्रवर्तन्ते हि सर्वशः॥

pānīyadānāt prabhṛti sarvaṃ vakṣyāmi te'nagha| yadannaṃ yacca pānīyaṃ sampradāyāśnute naraḥ|| na tasmāt paramaṃ dānaṃ kiṃcidastīti me manaḥ| annāt prāṇabhṛtastāta pravartante hi sarvaśaḥ||

I shall, O sinless one, describe to you gifts beginning with that of drink. The merit that a man wins by making gifts of food and of drink is such that the like of it, I think, is incapable of being acquired by any other gift. There is no gift, superior to that of either food or drink. It is from food that all living creatures are able to exist.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.5

तस्मादन्नं परं लोके सर्वलोकेषु कथ्यते। अन्नाद् बलं च तेजश्च प्राणिनां वर्धते सदा॥

tasmādannaṃ paraṃ loke sarvalokeṣu kathyate| annād balaṃ ca tejaśca prāṇināṃ vardhate sadā||

Therefore, food is considered as a very superior object in all the worlds. From food the strength and energy of living creatures continually increase.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.6

अन्नदानमतस्तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठमाह प्रजापतिः। सावित्र्या ह्यपि कौन्तेय श्रुतं ते वचनं शुभम्॥

annadānamatastasmācchreṣṭhamāha prajāpatiḥ| sāvitryā hyapi kaunteya śrutaṃ te vacanaṃ śubham||

Hence, the master of all creatures has himself said that the gift of food is a very superior gift. You have heard, O son of Kunti, what the auspicious words are of Savitri herself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.7

यतश्च यद् यथा चैव देवसत्रे महामते। अन्ने दत्ते नरेणेह प्राणा दत्ता भवन्त्युत॥

yataśca yad yathā caiva devasatre mahāmate| anne datte nareṇeha prāṇā dattā bhavantyuta||

You know why those words were said what those words were, and how they were said in course of the sacred Mantras, O you of great intelligence. A man, by making a gift of food, really makes a gift of life itself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.8

प्राणदानाद्धि परमं न दानमिह विद्यते। श्रुतं हि ते महाबाहो लोमशस्यापि तद्वचः॥

prāṇadānāddhi paramaṃ na dānamiha vidyate| śrutaṃ hi te mahābāho lomaśasyāpi tadvacaḥ||

There is no gift in this world which is superior to the gift of life. You are not unacquainted with this saying of Lomasha, O you of mighty arms.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.9

प्राणान् दत्त्वा कपोताय यत् प्राप्तं शिबिना पुरा। तां गतिं लभते दत्त्वा द्विजस्यान्न विशाम्पते॥

prāṇān dattvā kapotāya yat prāptaṃ śibinā purā| tāṃ gatiṃ labhate dattvā dvijasyānna viśāmpate||

The end that was attained to formerly by king Shivi on account of his having granted life to the pigeon is acquired by him, O king, who makes a gift of food to a Brahmana.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.10

तस्माद् विशिष्टां गच्छन्ति प्राणदा इति नः श्रुतम्। अन्नं वापि प्रभवति पानीयात् कुरुसत्तम।

tasmād viśiṣṭāṃ gacchanti prāṇadā iti naḥ śrutam| annaṃ vāpi prabhavati pānīyāt kurusattama|

Hence, we have heard that they who give life attain to very superior regions of happiness in after life. Food, O best of the Kurus, may or may not be superior to drink.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.11

नीरजातेन हि बिना न किंचित् सम्प्रवर्तते॥ नीरजातश्च भगवान् सोमो ग्रहगणेश्वरः।

nīrajātena hi binā na kiṃcit sampravartate|| nīrajātaśca bhagavān somo grahagaṇeśvaraḥ|

Nothing can exist without the help of what comes from water. The very lord of all the planets, viz., the illustrious Soma, has originated from water.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.12

अमृतं च सुधा चैव स्वाहा चैव स्वधा तथा॥ अन्नौषध्यो महाराज वीरुधश्च जलोद्भवाः।

amṛtaṃ ca sudhā caiva svāhā caiva svadhā tathā|| annauṣadhyo mahārāja vīrudhaśca jalodbhavāḥ|

Ambrosia and Suddha and Svadha and milk, as also every sort of food, the deciduous herbs, O king, and creepers originate from water.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.13

यतः प्राणभृतां प्राणा: सम्भवन्ति विशाम्पते॥ देवानाममृतं ह्यन्नं नागानां च सुधा तथा।

yataḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ prāṇā: sambhavanti viśāmpate|| devānāmamṛtaṃ hyannaṃ nāgānāṃ ca sudhā tathā|

From these, O king, the vital airs of all living creatures flow. The deities have nectar for their food. The Nagas have Sudha.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.14

पितॄणां च स्वधा प्रोक्ता पशूनां चापि वीरुधः॥ अन्नमेव मनुष्याणां प्राणानाहुर्मनीषिणः।

pitṝṇāṃ ca svadhā proktā paśūnāṃ cāpi vīrudhaḥ|| annameva manuṣyāṇāṃ prāṇānāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ|

The departed manes have Svadha for their. The animals have herbs and plants for their food. The wise have said that rice, etc., form the food of human beings.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.15

तच्च सर्वं नरव्याघ्र पानीयात् सम्प्रवर्तते॥ तस्मात् पानीयदानाद् वै न परं विद्यते क्वचित्।

tacca sarvaṃ naravyāghra pānīyāt sampravartate|| tasmāt pānīyadānād vai na paraṃ vidyate kvacit|

All these, O king originate from water. Hence, there is nothing superior to the gift of water or drink.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.16

तच्च दद्यान्नरो नित्यं यदीच्छेद् भूतिमात्मनः॥ धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं जलदानमिहोच्यते।

tacca dadyānnaro nityaṃ yadīcched bhūtimātmanaḥ|| dhanyaṃ yaśasyamāyuṣyaṃ jaladānamihocyate|

If a person wishes to get prosperity for himself, he should always make gifts of drink. The gift of water is considered as very laudable. It brings on great fame and bestows long life on the giver.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.17

शत्रूश्चाप्यधि कौन्तेय सदा तिष्ठति तोयदः॥ सर्वकामानवाप्नोति कीर्तिं चैव हि शाश्वतीम्।

śatrūścāpyadhi kaunteya sadā tiṣṭhati toyadaḥ|| sarvakāmānavāpnoti kīrtiṃ caiva hi śāśvatīm|

The giver of water, O son of Kunti, always stands over the heads of his enemies. Such a person obtains the fruition of all his desires and acquires everlasting fame.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 67.18

तोयदो मनुजव्याघ्र प्रेत्य चानन्त्यमश्चाति पापेभ्यश्च प्रमुच्यते॥ स्वर्ग गत्वा महाद्युते। अक्षयान् समवाप्नोति लोकानित्यब्रवीन्मनुः॥

toyado manujavyāghra pretya cānantyamaścāti pāpebhyaśca pramucyate|| svarga gatvā mahādyute| akṣayān samavāpnoti lokānityabravīnmanuḥ||

The giver, O king, becomes purged of every sin and obtains unending happiness hereafter as he proceeds to the celestial region. O you of great splendour. Manu himself has said that such a person acquires regions of endless bliss in the other world.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)