Shloka 7
Anuśāsana-parva Adhyāya 112: Dharma as the sole companion; karmic witnesses; rebirth sequences
Bṛhaspati–Yudhiṣṭhira Saṃvāda
रजस्तम: सत्त्वमथो येषां निर्धौतमात्मन: । शौचाशौचसमायुक्ता: स्वकार्यपरिमार्गिण:
rajas-tamaḥ sattvam atho yeṣāṁ nirdhautam ātmanaḥ | śaucāśauca-samāyuktāḥ sva-kārya-parimārgiṇaḥ ||
Bhishma said: Those whose inner self has been cleansed of rajas, tamas, and even sattva—thus becoming free from the three guṇas—who, though moving amid conditions of purity and impurity in the outer world, keep searching only for their own true duty (such as inquiry into reality, meditation, and worship): such people, devoted to inner purification through disciplined conduct, are themselves the highest holy places. Their presence sanctifies more than any external pilgrimage, because their life is anchored in renunciation, knowledge, and equal vision.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
External states of purity/impurity are secondary; the highest sanctity lies in a person who has transcended the three guṇas and steadily pursues inner duty—truth-inquiry, meditation, and worship—thereby becoming a ‘living tīrtha’ through self-purification and renunciation.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues teaching about dharma and sacredness, redefining ‘holy places’ by emphasizing the spiritual stature of guṇa-transcending sages over mere external pilgrimage or ritual conditions.