Shloka 26
Gautama’s Flight, the Enchanted Grove, and the Arrival of Rājadharma
Nāḍījaṅgha
अश्वमेधसहस्रं च सत्यं च तुलया धृतम् । अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते
aśvamedhasahasraṃ ca satyaṃ ca tulayā dhṛtam | aśvamedhasahasrād dhi satyam eva viśiṣyate ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Se mil sacrifícios Aśvamedha forem colocados de um lado e a Verdade do outro numa balança, a Verdade, por si só, pesa mais do que até mil Aśvamedhas.” O verso afirma que a integridade ética e a veracidade superam mesmo as maiores realizações rituais, colocando o dharma moral acima do mérito cerimonial.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthfulness (satya) is presented as a higher form of dharma than even the most prestigious and merit-producing rituals; moral integrity outweighs ceremonial accomplishment.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Shanti Parva, he uses a vivid comparison—placing a thousand Aśvamedhas and Truth on a scale—to emphasize to the listener that ethical truth is the supreme value.