Shloka 2

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच सर्वत्र विहितो धर्म: स्वर्ग: सत्यफलं महत्‌ | बहुद्वारस्य धर्मस्य नेहास्ति विफला क्रिया

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca sarvatra vihito dharmaḥ svargaḥ satyaphalaṃ mahat | bahudvārasya dharmasya nehāsti viphalā kriyā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，法在一切处皆有制定（于诸住期皆然）。它导向天界，也结出真理之大果——解脱。由于法有多重门径，如祭祀、布施、苦行等，因此在此世间，凡依于法而行之事，无有徒然。”

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'sarvatra': 'everywhere

• in all contexts', 'vihitaḥ': 'prescribed

• enjoined by rule/scripture', 'dharmaḥ': 'righteous duty

• right conduct', 'svargaḥ': 'heaven

• celestial attainment', 'satya': 'truth

• truthfulness', 'phalam': 'fruit

• result', 'mahat': 'great

• exalted', 'bahu-dvārasya': 'having many doors/paths

• accessible through many means', 'nehāsti': 'here (in this world) there is not', 'viphalā': 'fruitless

• ineffective', 'kriyā': 'act

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (Rajān—Yudhishthira implied)
• Svarga (heaven)
• Dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is universally applicable and yields assured results: it can grant heavenly merit and, through truth and right conduct, the highest fruit of liberation. Because dharma can be pursued through multiple disciplines (e.g., sacrifice, charity, austerity), sincere dharmic action never goes to waste.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva instruction, Bhishma continues advising the king (Yudhishthira) on righteous living after the war, emphasizing that dharma is prescribed for all and that every genuine dharmic practice produces meaningful spiritual and ethical outcomes.