Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 10
Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
न हातः सदृशं किंचिदिह लोके परत्र च । यत् सर्वेष्विह भूतेषु दया कौरवनन्दन,कौरवनन्दन! इस लोक और परलोकमें इसके समान दूसरा कोई पुण्यकार्य नहीं है कि इस जगतमें समस्त प्राणियोंपर दया की जाय
na hātaḥ sadṛśaṃ kiñcid iha loke paratra ca | yat sarveṣv iha bhūteṣu dayā kauravanandana ||
Bhishma said: In this world and in the world beyond, there is nothing comparable to this: showing compassion to all living beings here, O joy of the Kuru line. No other meritorious act equals universal kindness, for it upholds dharma at its root and bears fruit both now and hereafter.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Universal compassion (dayā toward all beings) is presented as the highest puṇya—unsurpassed in value both in this life and in the hereafter—because it directly sustains dharma and restrains harm.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising the Kuru king (addressed as Kauravanandana, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira), emphasizing that no religious merit equals compassion toward all creatures.