तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
आश्रमाणां च कर्तार: कुलानां चैव भारत । देशानां नगराणां च ते नरा: स्वर्गगामिन:,भारत! जो आश्रम, कुल, देश और नगरके निर्माता तथा संरक्षक हैं, वे पुरुष स्वर्गमें जाते हैं
āśramāṇāṃ ca kartāraḥ kulānāṃ caiva bhārata | deśānāṃ nagarāṇāṃ ca te narāḥ svargagāminaḥ ||
ビーシュマは言った。「おおバーラタよ。アーシュラマ(人生の秩序ある段階)を定めて守り、家系を立て、さらに国土と都市を築き護る者——そのような人は天界に至る。」
भीष्म उवाच
Merit accrues not only from personal austerity but also from building and safeguarding the social and civic structures that allow dharma to function—āśramas, lineages, territories, and cities. Such constructive, protective leadership is praised as heaven-leading.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and conduct. Here he highlights the spiritual reward of those who found and maintain institutions and settlements, framing civic and social stewardship as a righteous act.