Shloka 29

Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa

Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसहस्रं च सत्यं च तुलया धृतम्‌ । अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते

Transliteration

aśvamedhasahasraṃ ca satyaṃ ca tulayā dhṛtam | aśvamedhasahasrād dhi satyam eva viśiṣyate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Nếu đặt công đức của một nghìn lễ tế Aśvamedha lên một bên cán cân, và đặt Chân Thật lên bên kia, thì Chân Thật sẽ nặng hơn nghìn Aśvamedha. Bởi Chân Thật cao hơn cả công đức của một nghìn lễ tế ngựa.”

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधसहस्रम्: a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेधसहस्र (अश्वमेध + सहस्र)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तुलया: by a balance/scale
• तुलया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• धृतम्: weighed/placed (on the scale)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• अश्वमेधसहस्रात्: than a thousand Aśvamedhas / from a thousand Aśvamedhas
• अश्वमेधसहस्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेधसहस्र (अश्वमेध + सहस्र)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: alone/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विशिष्यते: is superior/excels
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शिष्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• Truth (Satya)
• Balance/scale (tulā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthfulness is presented as a higher dharmic value than even the immense ritual merit of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices; moral integrity outweighs ceremonial achievement.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he uses a vivid comparison—placing ‘a thousand Aśvamedhas’ and ‘Truth’ on a scale—to teach that satya is the heavier, superior virtue.