Shloka 21
उक्तो मार्गस्त्रयाणां च तत्तथैव समाचर । जिज्ञासा न तु कर्तव्या धर्मस्य परितर्कणात्
ukto mārgaḥ trayāṇāṃ ca tat tathaiva samācara | jijñāsā na tu kartavyā dharmasya paritarkaṇāt ||
Bhishma said: “Follow exactly that path of dharma which has been taught through the three authorities, and practice it accordingly. One should not try to ‘investigate’ dharma by leaning on mere disputation and argumentative reasoning.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma should be lived by adhering to the established, authoritative means of knowing it (the ‘three’ sources/standards referenced in context), rather than being subjected to endless skeptical debate; excessive argument can obscure right action.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira in the Anushasana Parva, he emphasizes disciplined adherence to the taught dharmic path and cautions against trying to settle dharma through mere contentious reasoning.