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:,नास्तिकोंके साथ काम पड़नेपर भी न जाय। उनके शपथ खाने या प्रतिज्ञा करनेपर भी उनके साथ यात्रा न करे। आसनको पैरसे खींचकर मनुष्य उसपर न बैठे
na cāpi gacchet kāryeṇa samayād vāpi nāstikaiḥ | āsanaṁ tu padākṛṣya na prasajjet tathā naraḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Even when compelled by some business, one should not go in the company of unbelievers; nor should one travel with them even if they have made an agreement or sworn an oath. And a man should not become attached in such a way as to sit upon a seat that has been dragged with the foot.”
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.