Shloka 6
गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow
Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode
सर्वानिपायानथ सम्प्रधार्य समुद्धरेत् स्वस्य कुलस्य तन््त्रम् । ज्येष्ठो यवीयानपि यो द्विजस्य शुश्रूषया दानपरायण: स्यात्
sarvān upāyān atha sampradhārya samuddharet svasya kulasya tantram | jyeṣṭho yavīyān api yo dvijasya śuśrūṣayā dānaparāyaṇaḥ syāt |
Bhishma sprach: „Nachdem man alle möglichen Mittel sorgfältig erwogen hat, soll man die überlieferte Ordnung und die Kontinuität des eigenen Geschlechts wahren und wiederherstellen. Selbst wenn er an Jahren älter ist, gilt, wer außerhalb der ‘Zweimalgeborenen’ steht, als geringer als ein Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya oder Vaiśya; darum soll er sich dem Dienst an den drei höheren Varṇas widmen und in der Freigebigkeit standhaft sein.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should preserve and uplift one’s family tradition through prudent, well-considered means, and practice dharma through service and generosity—especially emphasizing śuśrūṣā (respectful service) and dāna (charity) as stabilizing virtues within the social order described.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising on righteous conduct. Here he frames guidance about maintaining lineage and proper social duties, stating that those outside the dvija classes are treated as junior to the three varṇas and should therefore support them through service and charitable disposition.