Shloka 30
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 ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Sedekah yang diberikan dalam segala yajña, mandi suci di semua tīrtha (tempat ziarah), dan seluruh hasil terkumpul daripada segala jenis derma—semuanya sekalipun dihimpunkan—tidak dapat menyamai pahala ahiṃsā, yakni tidak menyakiti.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.