Shloka 10
Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)
श्रूयन्ते यानि तीर्थानि त्रिषु लोकेषु कानिचित्
śrūyante yāni tīrthāni triṣu lokeṣu kānicit | teṣu sarveṣu yat puṇyaṁ snānāt prāpnoti mānavaḥ || gośṛṅgajalasekena mastakasya tad eva hi ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Quels que soient les tīrthas (gués sacrés) dont on entend parler dans les trois mondes—vénérés et fréquentés par les Siddhas, les Cāraṇas et les grands ṛṣis—le mérite qu’on obtient en se baignant dans tous ces lieux s’obtient pareillement en aspergeant sa tête d’une eau qui a touché les cornes d’une vache.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sincere, dharmic reverence—here expressed through a simple purificatory act involving the cow—can yield merit comparable to extensive pilgrimage bathing. It emphasizes accessibility of religious merit through humble, respectful practice.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and religious duties. Here he praises the sanctity associated with the cow, stating that sprinkling one’s head with water that has touched a cow’s horns grants the same merit as bathing in all renowned tīrthas across the three worlds.