Shloka 59
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
महाफलविधिदनि श्रुतस्ते भरतर्षभ । निरयं येन गच्छन्ति स्वर्ग चैव हि तत् शूणु
Mahāphalavidhidāni śrutaste Bharatarṣabha | Nirayaṁ yena gacchanti svargaṁ caiva hi tat śṛṇu, Bharataśreṣṭha ||
Dijo Bhīṣma: «Oh toro entre los Bhāratas, ya has oído de mí las ordenanzas de los dones que otorgan gran recompensa. Ahora escucha, oh el mejor de los Bhāratas, las acciones por las cuales los hombres van al infierno, y también al cielo».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma transitions from explaining high-merit forms of charity (dāna) to a broader karmic framework: specific actions lead to either niraya (hell) or svarga (heaven). The verse frames ethical causality—deeds have consequences beyond this life.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira. Having already described the rules and fruits of giving, he now introduces the next section: an account of deeds that result in heavenly or hellish destinies.