Shloka 50
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न चापि गच्छेत् कार्येण समयाद् वापि नास्तिकै: । आसन तु पदा55कृष्य न प्रसज्जेत् तथा नर:
na cāpi gacchet kāryeṇa samayād vāpi nāstikaiḥ | āsanaṁ tu padākṛṣya na prasajjet tathā naraḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Selbst wenn man durch ein Geschäft dazu gezwungen ist, soll man nicht in der Gesellschaft von Ungläubigen (nāstika) gehen; und man soll nicht mit ihnen reisen, auch wenn sie eine Abmachung getroffen oder einen Eid geschworen haben. Und ein Mann soll sich nicht auf einen Sitz setzen, der mit dem Fuß herangezogen wurde.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should guard one’s moral and spiritual integrity by avoiding close association—especially travel or partnership—with nāstikas, even when necessity or formal promises seem to justify it; and one should not indulge in disrespectful or degrading conduct (symbolized by sitting on a seat dragged by the foot).
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and proper conduct, giving practical behavioral cautions: whom to associate with, when to refuse companionship, and how everyday gestures (like treating a seat disrespectfully) reflect inner discipline.