Shloka 8
Adhyāya 290: Sāṃkhya-vidhi, Deha-doṣa, Guṇa-vicāra, and Mokṣa-gati
Bhīṣma–Yudhiṣṭhira Dialogue
तस्मिन्नाश्रमिण: सन्त: स्वकर्माणीह कुर्वते
tasminnāśramiṇaḥ santaḥ svakarmāṇīha kurvate
In jener Einsiedelei verrichteten die dort lebenden Asketen — wahrhaftig und zuchtvoll — hier ihre jeweils vorgeschriebenen Pflichten, ein jeder gemäß seiner Rolle und Observanz.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms svadharma: virtuous people in an āśrama uphold order and inner purity by performing their own prescribed duties rather than abandoning responsibility or imitating others.
Parāśara describes the life of a hermitage community, emphasizing that the ascetics living there are ‘santaḥ’—upright and disciplined—and that their daily conduct is defined by steady performance of their respective duties.