गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
स्वशरीरैरपि त्राणं बाह्यानां सिद्धिकारणम् । भवन्ति मनुजव्याघ्र तत्र मे नास्ति संशय:
svaśarīrair api trāṇaṃ bāhyānāṃ siddhikāraṇam | bhavanti manujavyāghra tatra me nāsti saṃśayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Walaupun dengan mengorbankan tubuh sendiri, melindungi orang lain menjadi sebab kepada pencapaian rohani. Wahai harimau di antara manusia, tentang hal ini aku tidak ragu sedikit pun.
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma teaches that altruistic protection—defending others even at personal bodily cost—is a powerful form of dharma and becomes a direct cause of spiritual attainment (siddhi).
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues his instruction on righteous conduct, emphasizing to his listener (addressed as “tiger among men”) that self-sacrificing compassion and protection of others are unquestionably meritorious.