Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
सर्वयज्ञेषु वा दानं॑ सर्वतीर्थेषु वा55प्लुतम् । सर्वदानफलं वापि नैतत्तुल्यमहिंसया
sarvayajñeṣu vā dānaṁ sarvatīrtheṣu vā plutam | sarvadānaphalaṁ vāpi naitat tulyam ahiṁsayā ||
ビーシュマは言った。「あらゆる祭祀における布施も、あらゆるティールタ(聖なる渡し場)での沐浴も、あらゆる施しの果報の総和も——それらをすべて合わせたとしても——アヒンサー(不害)の功徳には及ばない。」
भीष्म उवाच
Ahimsa (non-violence) is presented as superior to the combined religious merit of sacrifices, pilgrimages, and all forms of charity; ethical restraint from harming beings outweighs external ritual and pious acts.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma; here he emphasizes a hierarchy of virtues, declaring that the merit of non-violence surpasses the fruits of yajña, tīrtha-bathing, and dāna.