Shloka 22
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
शूरा बहुविधा: प्रोक्तास्तेषामर्थास्तु मे शृणु । शूरान्वयानां निर्दिष्ट फलं शूरस्य चैव हि
bhīṣma uvāca | śūrā bahuvidhāḥ proktās teṣām arthāṁs tu me śṛṇu | śūrānvayānāṁ nirdiṣṭaṁ phalaṁ śūrasya caiva hi ||
Bhishma said: “Many kinds of heroes have been described. Now listen to me as I explain their intended meanings. I shall also state the results that are prescribed—both for the descendants of such heroes and for the hero himself.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma signals a dharmic clarification: ‘heroism’ has multiple recognized forms, and each carries a defined ethical meaning and a corresponding fruit (phala), affecting both the individual and his lineage.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues his discourse by transitioning from listing/mentioning varieties of heroes to explaining their purport and the results promised for such heroes and their descendants.