Shloka 5
Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
अश्वत्थं रोचनां गां च पूजयेद् यो नर: सदा
aśvatthaṃ rocanāṃ gāṃ ca pūjayed yo naraḥ sadā
Bhīṣma said: “That man who always reverently worships the aśvattha (sacred fig tree), rocanā (a revered auspicious substance), and the cow—he aligns his conduct with dharma through steady acts of veneration toward what is held sacred and life-sustaining.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Regular reverence toward traditionally sacred supports of life and auspiciousness—especially the cow and the aśvattha—constitutes a practical expression of dharma, cultivating merit through consistent honoring of what sustains and sanctifies.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising on dharma by prescribing specific objects of veneration; here he states that a person who continually honors the aśvattha, rocanā, and the cow follows a dharmic, merit-producing practice.