Shloka 33

Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa

Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows

Devanagari script

सत्यवन्तः स्वर्गलोके मोदन्ते भरतर्षभ । दम: सत्यफलावाप्तिरुक्ता सर्वात्मना मया

Transliteration

satyavantaḥ svargaloke modante bharatarṣabha | damaḥ satyaphalāvāptir uktā sarvātmanā mayā ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : «Ô taureau parmi les Bharata, ceux qui disent vrai se réjouissent dans le monde céleste. Pourtant, c’est la maîtrise de soi—dama, le contrôle des sens—qui est déclarée être le moyen d’obtenir réellement le fruit de la vérité. Je l’ai dit de tout mon cœur.»

Word by Word

• {'satyavantaḥ': 'truthful people

• those endowed with truthfulness', 'svargaloke': 'in Svarga

• in the heavenly realm', 'modante': 'rejoice

• enjoy', 'bharatarṣabha': 'O bull of the Bharatas

• an honorific address to a Bharata prince (Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'damaḥ': 'self-control

• restraint of the senses and mind', 'satya-phala': 'the fruit/result of truthfulness', 'avāptiḥ': 'attainment

• obtaining', 'uktā': 'is said

• is declared', 'sarvātmanā': 'with one’s whole self

• wholeheartedly', 'mayā': 'by me'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bharatarṣabha (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Svargaloka (Svarga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthfulness leads to heavenly joy, but its full fruit is secured through dama—disciplined restraint of the senses; ethical speech must be supported by inner self-mastery.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s dharma-instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva, he emphasizes that virtues are interconnected: speaking truth is praised, yet it becomes effective and fruitful when grounded in self-control.