Shloka 90
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 ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Wahai Bhārata, mereka yang mendirikan dan memelihara āśrama (tatanan tahap kehidupan), keturunan-keturunan, serta wilayah dan kota—mereka itulah yang mencapai syurga.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.