Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 34
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
गोब्राह्मणाय साहाय्य॑ कुर्वाणा वै न संशय: । आनुृशंस्यमनुक्रोश: सत्यवाक्यं तथा क्षमा
gobrāhmaṇāya sāhāyyaṁ kurvāṇā vai na saṁśayaḥ | ānṛśaṁsyam anukrośaḥ satyavākyaṁ tathā kṣamā puruṣasiṁha |
Bhīṣma dit : Il n’y a aucun doute que même ceux d’origine sociale mêlée peuvent atteindre un véritable relèvement spirituel s’ils portent secours aux vaches et aux brāhmaṇa, renoncent aux actes cruels, témoignent de la compassion envers tous, disent la vérité et pratiquent le pardon. Ô lion parmi les hommes, une telle conduite—fondée sur la miséricorde, la vérité et la patience—ouvre la voie à un bien supérieur.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that ethical virtues—helping cows and brāhmaṇas, practicing non-cruelty and compassion, speaking truth, and forgiving others—are powerful enough to bring genuine spiritual welfare even to those viewed as socially disadvantaged; moral conduct, not birth alone, is emphasized as the means to uplift.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising the royal listener (addressed as 'puruṣasiṁha') on dharma. Here he lists specific virtues and charitable duties and asserts confidently that such conduct leads to higher good, removing doubt about the possibility of improvement for marginalized groups.