Shloka 7
अहिंसा-आत्मौपम्य-उपदेशः | Instruction on Ahiṃsā and Self-Comparison Ethics
ग्रीवां ज्येष्ठा च राजेन्द्र श्रवणेन तु कर्णयो: । मुखं पुष्येण दानेन दन्तोष्ठी स्वातिरुच्यते
grīvāṁ jyeṣṭhā ca rājendra śravaṇena tu karṇayoḥ | mukhaṁ puṣyeṇa dānena dantoṣṭhī svātir ucyate ||
Bhīṣma said: “O best of kings, the neck is said to be under Jyeṣṭhā, and the ears under Śravaṇa. The face is spoken of as belonging to Puṣya through the act of giving (dāna), and the teeth and lips are said to be under Svātī.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a traditional mapping of bodily features to specific nakṣatras, and highlights that virtuous action—especially dāna (generosity)—is a key factor in auspiciousness and well-being, aligning one’s life with sacred order.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional dialogue, Bhīṣma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma-related observances and auspicious frameworks, here describing which nakṣatras are said to preside over particular parts of the body.