अर्चेद् देवानदम्भेन सेवेतामायया गुरून् । निर्धि निदध्यात् पारत्र्यं यात्रार्थ दानशब्दितम्
arced devān adambhena sevetāmāyayā gurūn | nidhim nidadhyāt pāratr̥yaṁ yātrārthaṁ dānaśabditam ||
Bhishma bersabda: “Hendaklah seseorang memuja para dewa tanpa kemunafikan; hendaklah dia berkhidmat kepada para tua dan guru tanpa tipu daya. Dan untuk perjalanan ke alam selepas mati, hendaklah dia mengumpulkan ‘harta’ yang bernama sedekah—yakni memberi dengan murah hati demi kebajikan yang menyusul sesudah kematian.”
भीष्म उवाच
True dharma is practiced inwardly: worship should be free of show (adambha), service to teachers and elders should be free of manipulation (amāyā), and one should ‘save’ for the next world by giving charity generously—treating dāna as the real treasure that accompanies a person beyond death.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on righteous conduct. Here he outlines a compact ethical program: sincere devotion, honest service to gurus/elders, and open-handed charity as preparation for the afterlife.