Shloka 17
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
ऋषीणां सर्वलोकेषु यानि ते यान्ति देवता: । दमेन यानि नृपते गच्छन्ति परमर्षय:
ṛṣīṇāṃ sarvalokeṣu yāni te yānti devatāḥ | damena yāni nṛpate gacchanti paramarṣayaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai raja, pencapaian ilahi yang diraih para dewa di segala alam—keadaan yang sama itu pula dicapai para resi agung melalui pengendalian diri. Karena itu, penaklukan indria dan laku yang berdisiplin dinyatakan sebagai jalan langsung menuju tujuan rohani tertinggi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That self-restraint (dama)—discipline of the senses and mind—is powerful enough to grant the highest attainments, comparable to the divine states reached by the gods; ethical mastery is presented as a direct spiritual means.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma; here he emphasizes that great seers attain exalted realms through self-control, underscoring restraint as a central virtue for both rulers and seekers.