Shloka 12
Dāna–Tapaḥ Praśaṃsā and Gṛhastha-Upadeśa
Maitreya
भीष्म उवाच भगवद्धचनातू् कीटो ब्राद्ाण्यं प्राप्प दुर्लभम्
bhīṣma uvāca—bhagavad-vacanāt tu kīṭo brāhmaṇyaṁ prāpya durlabham; (sa) pṛthivīṁ śataśo yajñayūpair aṅkitavān. tadanantaram brahmavettṝṇāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ san brahma-sālokyaṁ prāptaḥ, brahmalokaṁ gatvā sanātanaṁ brahma prāpnoti.
ພີສະມະເວົ້າວ່າ: «ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ, ຕາມຄໍາບອກເລົ່າຂອງພຣະວະຍາສະຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ, ສັດນ້ອຍນັ້ນທີ່ເຄີຍເປັນແມງຫນອນ ໄດ້ບັນລຸສະຖານະອັນຫາຍາກແຫ່ງພຣາຫມັນ. ຕໍ່ມາ ມັນໄດ້ໝາຍແຜ່ນດິນດ້ວຍເສົາຍັດຍະຫຼາຍຮ້ອຍ ປະກອບພິທີຍັດຍະອັນໃຫຍ່. ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ ເປັນຜູ້ຮູ້ພຣະພຣະຫມັນທີ່ເລີດສຸດ ມັນໄດ້ບັນລຸການຢູ່ຮ່ວມໂລກດຽວກັບພຣະພຣະຫມາ—ໄປຮອດພຣະຫມະໂລກ ແລະ ຮູ້ແຈ້ງພຣະພຣະຫມັນອັນນິລັນດອນ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even one of the lowest origins (a former ‘worm’) can, through accumulated merit, right conduct, and ultimately Brahman-knowledge, rise to the highest spiritual attainment—showing the Mahabharata’s emphasis on transformation through dharma and realization.
Bhishma recounts Vyasa’s authoritative tradition: a being formerly a worm attains rare brahmin status, performs many great sacrifices (symbolized by hundreds of yajña-posts across the earth), and then surpasses ritual merit by becoming a foremost knower of Brahman, reaching Brahmaloka and realizing the eternal Brahman.