Shloka 5
प्रजापतयः देवगणाश्च दिशि-दिशि स्थिताः ऋषयः
Prajāpatis, Deva-Groups, and the Ṛṣis Assigned to the Directions
यच्चार्थशास्त्रागममन्त्रविद्धि- यज्ञैरनेकैरथ गोप्रदानै: । फलं महद्विर्यदुपास्थते च कि तत्कथं वा भविता क्व वा तत्
bhīṣma uvāca | yac cārthaśāstrāgama-mantra-viddhi-yajñair anekair atha go-pradānaiḥ | phalaṁ mahad yady upāsthate ca ki tat kathaṁ vā bhavitā kva vā tat ||
Disse Bhīṣma: O fruto grandioso e bem-aventurado que os eruditos—versados no Arthaśāstra (arte do governo), na tradição védica (Āgama) e nos mantras sagrados—buscam alcançar por meio de muitos grandes sacrifícios e de dádivas de vacas: que fruto é esse, de fato? Por quais meios se obtém, e onde ele habita?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: even the most learned and ritually accomplished people pursue a ‘great fruit’ through sacrifice and charity, so one should ask what that ultimate reward truly is, how it is attained, and where it is said to reside—prompting reflection on the hierarchy of goals (merit, heaven, and possibly liberation).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma raises a pointed question about the ultimate outcome sought by experts in Veda, mantra, and polity who perform many yajñas and give cows in charity, preparing the ground for a doctrinal explanation of the highest result of dharmic action.