तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
दानेन तपसा चैव सत्येन च युधिष्ठिर । ये धर्ममनुवर्तन्ते ते नरा: स्वर्गगामिन:,जो दान, तपस्या और सत्यके द्वारा धर्मका अनुष्ठान करते हैं, वे मनुष्य स्वर्गगामी होते हैं
dānena tapasā caiva satyena ca yudhiṣṭhira | ye dharmam anuvartante te narāḥ svargagāminaḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „O Yudhiṣṭhira, wer dem Dharma durch Freigebigkeit, Askese und Wahrhaftigkeit folgt, der gelangt in den Himmel.“
भीष्म उवाच
Dharma is upheld through three foundational disciplines—generosity (dāna), austerity/self-restraint (tapas), and truthfulness (satya). A life aligned with these leads to spiritual merit and the attainment of heaven (svarga).
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he summarizes a key ethical principle: those who actively practice dharma by giving, disciplined living, and truth are said to reach heavenly realms.