Shloka 28
Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa
Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows
धारणं सर्ववेदानां सर्वतीर्थावगाहनम् | सत्यं च ब्रुवतो नित्यं सम॑ वा स्यान्न वा समम्
dhāraṇaṁ sarvavedānāṁ sarvatīrthāvagāhanam | satyaṁ ca bruvato nityaṁ samaṁ vā syān na vā samam ||
Menguasai dan mengingat seluruh Weda serta mandi di setiap tirtha suci—apakah pahala perbuatan itu dapat menyamai pahala orang yang senantiasa berkata benar, hal itu sendiri masih diragukan. Maknanya jelas: kebenaran teguh melampaui semuanya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Constant truthfulness (satya) is presented as a higher and more reliable source of merit than even vast scriptural learning (retaining all the Vedas) or extensive pilgrimage (bathing at all tīrthas).
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is teaching ethical priorities: he contrasts prestigious religious acts with the inner moral discipline of always speaking truth, concluding that truth is superior.