Shloka 35
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
स्वशरीरैरपि त्राणं बाह्यानां सिद्धिकारणम् । भवन्ति मनुजव्याघ्र तत्र मे नास्ति संशय:
svaśarīrair api trāṇaṃ bāhyānāṃ siddhikāraṇam | bhavanti manujavyāghra tatra me nāsti saṃśayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Wahai harimau di antara manusia, bahkan dengan mengorbankan tubuh sendiri, melindungi orang lain menjadi sebab tercapainya kesempurnaan rohani; tentang ini aku tak ragu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that altruistic protection—defending others even at personal bodily cost—is a powerful form of dharma and becomes a direct cause of spiritual attainment (siddhi).
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues his instruction on righteous conduct, emphasizing to his listener (addressed as “tiger among men”) that self-sacrificing compassion and protection of others are unquestionably meritorious.