Shloka 9
Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)
निराशी: स्यात् सर्वसमो निर्भोगो निर्विकारवान् | विप्र: क्षेमाश्रमं प्राप्तो गच्छत्यक्षरसात्मताम्
nirāśī syāt sarvasamo nirbhogo nirvikāravān | vipraḥ kṣemāśramaṃ prāpto gacchaty akṣarasātmatām ||
ভীষ্মে ক’লে—তেওঁ নিৰাশী হ’ব, সকলোৰে প্ৰতি সমভাৱ ৰাখিব, ভোগৰ পৰা বিমুখ থাকিব, আৰু অন্তঃকৰণৰ বিকাৰসমূহে তেওঁক নচলাব। ‘ক্ষেমাশ্ৰম’ত প্ৰৱেশ কৰা ব্ৰাহ্মণে অক্ষৰ ব্ৰহ্মৰ সৈতে একাত্মতা লাভ কৰে।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a renunciant ethic: abandon expectation and craving, maintain equal regard for all, avoid sense-indulgence, and remain inwardly unperturbed; such discipline in the kṣema-āśrama culminates in realization of oneness with the Imperishable Brahman.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is advising on dharma and the life of spiritual discipline; here he describes the qualities of a brahmin/renunciant who enters the kṣema-āśrama and the ultimate result—attainment of identity with akṣara (Brahman).