Shloka 70
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
शिर:स्नातस्तु तैलैश्व नांगं किंचिदपि स्पृशेत् । तिलसृष्टं न चाश्नीयात् तथास्यायुर्न रिष्यते
śiraḥ-snātastu tailaiś ca nāṅgaṃ kiñcid api spṛśet | tila-sṛṣṭaṃ na cāśnīyāt tathāsyāyur na riṣyate ||
Bhīṣma sprach: Nachdem man den Kopf gebadet und Öl aufgetragen hat, soll man mit derselben Hand keinen anderen Teil des Körpers berühren. Auch soll man keine Zubereitungen aus Sesam essen. Wer diese Zurückhaltung wahrt, dessen Lebensspanne wird nicht gemindert. (Die Anweisung gehört zur umfassenderen Disziplin körperlicher Reinheit und geregelten Handelns, die als Teil des Dharma gelehrt wird.)
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches regulated personal conduct (ācāra) connected with purity: after oiling the head post-bath, one should avoid touching other body parts with the same hand and avoid eating sesame-based preparations; such discipline is said to protect one’s longevity.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Bhīṣma continues giving Yudhiṣṭhira practical rules of daily conduct and ritual hygiene, presenting them as observances that support health, order, and the maintenance of life.