Shloka 18
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
Devanagari script
अध्यापक: परिक्क्लेशादक्षयं फलमश्लुते
Transliteration
adhyāpakaḥ parikleśād akṣayaṃ phalam aśnute
Translation
قال بهيشما: «إن المعلّم، بما يلاقيه من عناء التعليم وبذل الجهد فيه، ينال ثمرةً لا تفنى؛ فالتعليم نفسه يصير منبعَ فضلٍ باقٍ.»
Word by Word
अध्यापकःthe teacher/instructor
अध्यापकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअध्यापक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
परिक्लेशात्from hardship/effort
परिक्लेशात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootपरिक्लेश
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
अक्षयम्imperishable, inexhaustible
अक्षयम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअक्षय
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
फलम्fruit, result
फलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootफल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अश्नुतेattains/obtains
अश्नुते:
TypeVerb
Rootअश्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaT
teacher (adhyāpaka)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Teaching is a dharmic act whose very effort and hardship yield an imperishable fruit; the teacher’s labor becomes lasting merit rather than a merely temporary gain.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he highlights the ethical value of the teacher’s role, stating that the instructor attains an inexhaustible reward through the toil involved in teaching.