Shloka 8

Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa

Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows

Devanagari script

धर्मज्ञ पितामह! यह सब मैं यथावत्‌ रूपसे जानना चाहता हूँ। इसके लिये मेरे मनमें बड़ी उत्कण्ठा है ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yo vrataṃ vai yathoddiṣṭaṃ tathā sampratipadyate | akhaṇḍaṃ samyag ārabhya tasya lokāḥ sanātanāḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର, ଯେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରେ ଯେପରି ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ, ସେପରି ଭାବେ ବ୍ରତ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରେ, ଏବଂ ସମ୍ୟକ୍ ଭାବେ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରି ତାହାକୁ ଅଖଣ୍ଡ ଭାବେ ପାଳନ କରେ—ସେ ସନାତନ ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରେ।

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उद्दिष्टम्: prescribed, indicated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-√दिश्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: so, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सम्प्रतिपद्यते: undertakes, enters upon, follows
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्रति-√पद्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, 3rd, Singular

• अखण्डम्: unbrokenly, without interruption
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखण्ड
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly, correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• आरभ्य: having begun
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√रभ्
• Form: ktvā (absolutive/gerund)

• तस्य: of him, his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• लोकाः: worlds, realms
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सनातनाः: eternal
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• vrata (vow/observance)
• lokas (worlds/realms)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A vow yields its full dharmic fruit when it is undertaken exactly as prescribed and maintained without interruption; steadfast, correct practice leads to enduring spiritual attainment (sanātana lokāḥ).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira within the Anushasana Parva’s dharma-discourse, he explains the consequence of properly observing vows: those who begin and keep them unbroken attain eternal realms.