Shloka 8
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
यो यजेताश्वमेधेन मासि मासि यतव्रतः । वर्जयेन्मधु मांसं च सममेतद् युधिष्ठिर
yo yajetāśvamedhena māsi māsi yatavrataḥ | varjayen madhu māṁsaṁ ca samam etad yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhishma disse: “Ó Yudhishthira, se um homem, firme em votos de disciplina, realizasse o sacrifício do Aśvamedha mês após mês, e outro simplesmente se abstivesse de bebida intoxicante e de carne, ambos obtêm o mesmo fruto. O mérito da contenção e da pureza de conduta pode igualar o mérito do mais grandioso ritual.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that ethical self-restraint—specifically renouncing intoxicants and meat—can yield merit equal to repeated performance of a grand royal sacrifice like the Aśvamedha, emphasizing inner discipline over external ritual magnitude.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct, comparing the spiritual fruit of massive sacrificial rites with the fruit of simple but firm moral renunciation.