Shloka 29

Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa

Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसहस्रं च सत्यं च तुलया धृतम्‌ । अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते

Transliteration

aśvamedhasahasraṃ ca satyaṃ ca tulayā dhṛtam | aśvamedhasahasrād dhi satyam eva viśiṣyate ||

Translation

जर तराजूच्या एका पारड्यात हजार अश्वमेध यज्ञांचे पुण्य आणि दुसऱ्या पारड्यात केवळ सत्य ठेवले, तर हजार अश्वमेधांपेक्षा सत्याचे पारडेच जड ठरेल; कारण सत्यच श्रेष्ठ आहे.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधसहस्रम्: a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेधसहस्र (अश्वमेध + सहस्र)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तुलया: by a balance/scale
• तुलया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• धृतम्: weighed/placed (on the scale)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• अश्वमेधसहस्रात्: than a thousand Aśvamedhas / from a thousand Aśvamedhas
• अश्वमेधसहस्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेधसहस्र (अश्वमेध + सहस्र)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: alone/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विशिष्यते: is superior/excels
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शिष्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• Truth (Satya)
• Balance/scale (tulā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthfulness is presented as a higher dharmic value than even the immense ritual merit of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices; moral integrity outweighs ceremonial achievement.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he uses a vivid comparison—placing ‘a thousand Aśvamedhas’ and ‘Truth’ on a scale—to teach that satya is the heavier, superior virtue.