Shloka 41

Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa

Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows

Devanagari script

तस्य राजन्‌ फल विद्धि स्वलोके स्थानमर्चितम्‌ | न च पश्येत नरकं गुरुशुश्रूषया55त्मवान्‌

Transliteration

tasya rājan phala viddhi svaloke sthānam arcitam | na ca paśyet narakaṁ guruśuśrūṣayātmavān ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，当知此行之果：在天界得获受敬受礼之位。自制之人，凭借对长者与师长的恭敬奉事，终不至见地狱。”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विद्धि: know (you)
• विद्धि: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वलोके: in (his) own world, in heaven
• स्वलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वलोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्थानम्: place, station
• स्थानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्चितम्: honoured, revered
• अर्चितम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• पश्येत: would see
• पश्येत: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गुरुशुश्रूषया: by service to the teacher/elders
• गुरुशुश्रूषया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुशुश्रूषा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• आत्मवान्: self-controlled
• आत्मवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (Yudhishthira, implied addressee)
• svarga (heaven, implied by svaloka)
• naraka (hell)
• guru (teacher/elder, as a category)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Devoted service to elders and teachers (guruśuśrūṣā), coupled with self-control, yields exalted honor in heaven and protects one from falling into hell—highlighting reverence and obedience as central duties within dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs King Yudhishthira on righteous conduct. Here he states the spiritual outcome of serving one’s gurus/elders: an honored place in the heavenly realm and freedom from the experience of hell.