Shloka 21
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न हीदृशमनायुष्यं लोके किंचन विद्यते । यादृशं पुरुषस्येह परदारोपसेवनम्
na hīdṛśam anāyuṣyaṁ loke kiṁcana vidyate | yādṛśaṁ puruṣasyeha paradāropasevanam ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „In dieser Welt gibt es nichts, was die Lebensdauer so sehr zerstört wie der Umgang mit der Frau eines anderen. Für einen Mann hier verkürzt keine Tat das Leben so gewiss wie das Nachstellen und Genießen der Gattin eines Fremden.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that sexual involvement with another man’s wife is a grave adharma that most powerfully destroys a man’s longevity and well-being; it is presented as among the most life-ruining moral transgressions.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and social-moral discipline, warning specifically against the perilous consequences of approaching another’s spouse.