Shloka 5
Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
यच्च तस्य हुतं किंचिद् दत्तं वा भरतर्षभ । तपस्तप्तमथो वापि सर्व तस्योपहन्यते
yac ca tasya hutaṁ kiñcid dattaṁ vā bharatarṣabha | tapas taptam atho vāpi sarvaṁ tasyopahanyate ||
Wika ni Bhishma: O pinakamainam sa mga Bharata, anumang inihandog niya sa sakripisyo, anumang ibinigay niya bilang kawanggawa, at anumang pag-aayuno at pagdidisiplina (austeridad) na kanyang isinagawa—lahat ay napaparam. Ang kasalanan ng paglabag sa isang banal na panata ay sumisira sa kabutihang naipon mula kapanganakan hanggang kamatayan, at pinawawalang-bisa ang panghabambuhay na pagsamba, pagbibigay, at pagpipigil-sa-sarili.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Keeping one’s vow is a central requirement of dharma; breaking a solemn promise carries such moral weight that it can negate the spiritual merit gained through sacrifice, charity, and austerity.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira in the Anushasana Parva, he emphasizes the grave consequence of vow-breaking, stating that it destroys the fruits of a person’s lifelong religious and ethical practices.