Shloka 12
गोप्रदानगुणाः तथा कपिलागोविधानम्
Merits of Cow-Gift and the Origin-Account of Kapilā Cows
अक्रोधनो गोषु तथा द्विजेषु धर्मे रतो गुरुशुश्रूषकश्न । यावज्जीवं सत्यवृत्ते रतश्न दाने रतो य: क्षमी चापराधे
pitāmaha uvāca | akrodhano goṣu tathā dvijeṣu dharme rato guruśuśrūṣakaś ca | yāvajjīvaṃ satyavr̥tte rataś ca dāne rato yaḥ kṣamī cāparādhe |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sesiapa yang bebas daripada kemarahan terhadap lembu dan terhadap golongan ‘dua kali lahir’ (dvija), yang tekun pada dharma serta bersungguh-sungguh berkhidmat kepada para tua dan guru; yang sepanjang hayat bersuka dalam tata laku yang benar; yang cenderung kepada sedekah dan memaafkan walau dizalimi—orang demikian, dengan kebajikan-kebajikan ini, mencapai alam Goloka yang kekal dan tidak binasa, milik Tuhan.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that a dharmic life is defined by disciplined non-anger (especially toward protected beings like cows and revered communities like Brahmins), lifelong truthfulness, service to elders/teachers, generosity, and forgiveness; these virtues are presented as the cause of attaining an imperishable divine realm.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma (lying on the bed of arrows) instructs Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he lists specific ethical qualities—non-anger, truth, guru-service, charity, and forgiveness—and links them to the spiritual fruit of reaching an eternal abode (Goloka in the broader passage).