Shloka 57
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
आयुष्य॑ प्राड्मुखो भुड्क्ते यशस्यं दक्षिणामुख: । धन्य पश्चान्मुखो भुड्क्ते ऋतं भुड्क्ते उदडमुख:
āyuṣyaṁ prāṅmukho bhuṅkte yaśasyaṁ dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ | dhanyaṁ paścānmukho bhuṅkte ṛtaṁ bhuṅkte udāṅmukhaḥ ||
Bhishma said: Facing east one partakes of what promotes longevity; facing south one partakes of fame; facing west one partakes of prosperity and blessedness; and facing north one partakes of truth. Thus, even the simple discipline of orientation while eating is presented as an ethical observance that aligns daily conduct with valued aims of dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma links everyday discipline (the direction one faces while eating) with ethical and auspicious outcomes: east with longevity, south with fame, west with prosperity, and north with truth—showing how dharma is cultivated through habitual conduct.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct (ācāra). Here he gives a concise rule about facing particular directions while eating and the corresponding fruits traditionally associated with them.