Shloka 17
Śrī-nivāsa: Traits and Conditions for the Abode of Prosperity (श्री-निवासः)
मत्ते गजे गोवृषभे नरेन्द्र सिंहासने सत्पुरुषेषु नित्यम्
bhīṣma uvāca | matte gaje govṛṣabhe narendra-siṃhāsane satpuruṣeṣu nityam | yatra gṛhe agnau āhutīḥ kriyante, gāvo brāhmaṇāś ca devāś ca pūjyante, kāle kāle ca yatra puṣpair devatābhyo upahārāḥ samarpitāḥ, tasmin gṛhe ahaṃ nityaṃ vasāmi |
Bhishma said: “I dwell constantly where there is a proud elephant, a bull among cows, a king upon his throne, and where true and virtuous persons reside. I also abide forever in that household where offerings are duly poured into the sacred fire, where cows, Brahmins, and the gods are honored, and where, at proper times, flowers are presented as gifts to the deities.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that auspiciousness and moral stability abide where strength is disciplined by dharma: noble leadership (king on the throne), righteous power (bull/elephant as symbols), and the presence of virtuous people, supported by regular Vedic rites and reverence for cows, Brahmins, and the gods.
In Bhishma’s instruction on conduct (anuśāsana), he describes the marks of a blessed and dharmic dwelling—one sustained by ritual offerings, proper worship, and the company of the virtuous—indicating where divine favor and prosperity are said to reside.