Shloka 8
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
धर्मज्ञ पितामह! यह सब मैं यथावत् रूपसे जानना चाहता हूँ। इसके लिये मेरे मनमें बड़ी उत्कण्ठा है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | yo vrataṃ vai yathoddiṣṭaṃ tathā sampratipadyate | akhaṇḍaṃ samyag ārabhya tasya lokāḥ sanātanāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Whoever undertakes a vow exactly as it is prescribed, and having begun it rightly, maintains it without break—such a person attains the eternal worlds. The teaching emphasizes that dharma is upheld not merely by intention, but by faithful, uninterrupted practice in accordance with scriptural rule.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A vow yields its full dharmic fruit when it is undertaken exactly as prescribed and maintained without interruption; steadfast, correct practice leads to enduring spiritual attainment (sanātana lokāḥ).
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira within the Anushasana Parva’s dharma-discourse, he explains the consequence of properly observing vows: those who begin and keep them unbroken attain eternal realms.