Shloka 41
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
सो5हमेतादृशाल्लॉकान् दृष्टवा भरतसत्तम | यन्मे कृतं ब्राह्मणेषु न तप्ये तेन पार्थिव
so ’ham etādṛśāl lokān dṛṣṭvā bharatasattama | yan me kṛtaṃ brāhmaṇeṣu na tapye tena pārthiva ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô le meilleur des Bhārata, ô roi, après avoir contemplé de tels mondes de mérite, je suis satisfait du fruit de ce que j’ai accompli pour les brahmanes. Ainsi, ô souverain, je ne m’en afflige point, et je ne brûle pas de regret en me disant : “Pourquoi n’ai-je pas accompli quelque autre acte méritoire ?”».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes contentment grounded in dharma: when one has acted rightly—here, by serving and honoring Brahmanas—one should accept the resulting fruit without later self-torment or comparative regret about other possible merits.
In his instruction to the king, Bhishma reflects on the outcome of his past conduct toward Brahmanas. Having ‘seen’ the meritorious realms gained thereby, he tells Yudhiṣṭhira that he feels no remorse and is not troubled by thoughts of having missed other virtuous acts.