आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
महात्मनो5तिगुह्यानि न वक्तव्यानि कर्िचित् । अगम्याक्ष न गच्छेत राज्ञ: पत्नी सखीस्तथा
mahātmano ’tiguhyāni na vaktavyāni karhicit | agamyāḥ striyo na gacchet rājñaḥ patnīḥ sakhīs tathā ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Niemals soll man die tief geheimen Angelegenheiten eines edelgesinnten Menschen offenbaren. Frauen, die ‘nicht zu nahen’ sind, darf man nicht nahen; man soll sich nicht mit ihnen einlassen. Ebenso soll man sich weder den Frauen des Königs noch seinen weiblichen Gefährtinnen nähern.“
भीष्म उवाच
Maintain confidentiality regarding the private affairs of the virtuous, and practice strict self-restraint by avoiding forbidden relationships—especially any approach to the king’s wives or women under royal protection.
In Bhishma’s dharma-instruction discourse (Anushasana Parva), he lays down practical rules of conduct: guarding others’ secrets and observing clear social and ethical boundaries, particularly in matters involving women connected to the royal household.