"'Yudhishthira said, "I have heard, O sire, of the merits of the different
kinds of gift upon which thou hast discoursed to me. I understand, O
Bharata, that the gift of food is especially laudable and superior. What
however, are the great merits of making gifts of drink. I desire to hear
of this in detail, O grandsire!"
"'Bhishma said, "I shall, O chief of Bharata's race, discourse to thee
upon this subject. Listen to me, O thou of unbaffled prowess, as I speak
to thee. I shall, O sinless one, discourse unto thee of gifts beginning
with that of drink. The merit that a man acquires by making gifts of food
and drink is such that the like of it, I think, is incapable of being
acquired through any other gift. There is no gift, therefore, that is
superior to that of either food or drink. It is by food that all living
creatures are able to exist. For this reason, food is regarded as a very
superior object in all the worlds. From food the strength and energy of
living creatures constantly increases. Hence, the lord of all creatures
has himself said that the gift of food is a very superior gift. Thou hast
heard, O son of Kunti, what the auspicious words are of Savitri herself
(on the subject of the gift of food). Thou knowest for what reason those
words were said, what those words were, and how they were said in course
of the sacred Mantras, O thou of great intelligence. A man, by making a
gift of food, really makes a gift of life itself. There is no gift in
this world that is superior to the gift of life. Thou art not
unacquainted with this saying of Lomasa, O thou of mighty arms! The end
that was attained in former days by king Sivi in consequence of his
having granted life to the pigeon is acquired by him, O monarch, who
makes a gift of food unto a Brahmana. Hence, it has been heard by us that
they that give life attain to very superior regions of felicity in after
life. Food, O best of the Kurus, may or may not be superior to drink.
Nothing can exist without the aid of what springs from water. The very
lord of all the planets, viz., the illustrious Soma, has sprung from
water. Amrita and Sudha and Swadha and milk as also every kind of food,
the deciduous herbs, O monarch, and creepers (medicinal and of other
virtues), spring from water. From these, O king, the life-breath of all
living creatures flows. The deities have nectar for their food. The Nagas
have Sudha. The Pitris have Swadha for theirs. The animals have herbs and
plants for their food. The wise have said that rice, etc., constitute the
food of human beings. All these, O chief of men, spring from water.
Hence, there is nothing superior to the gift of water or drink. If a
person wishes to secure prosperity for himself, he should always make
gifts of drink. The gift of water is regarded as very praiseworthy. It
leads to great fame and bestows long life on the giver. The giver of
water, O son of Kunti, always stays over the heads of his enemies. Such a
person obtains the fruition of all his wishes and earns everlasting fame.
The giver, O chief of men, becomes cleansed of every sin and obtains
unending felicity hereafter as he proceeds to heaven, O thou of great
splendour. Manu himself has said that such a person earns regions of
inexhaustible bliss in the other world."'"