Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 35
राजमार्गे गवां मध्ये धान्यमध्ये च धर्मिण: । नोपसेवन्ति राजेन्द्र सर्ग मूत्रपुरीषयो:,धर्मात्मा पुरुष सड़कपर, गौओंके बीचमें तथा खेतमें लगे हुए धान्यके भीतर मल- मूत्रका त्याग नहीं करते हैं
rājamārge gavāṁ madhye dhānyamadhye ca dharmiṇaḥ | nopasevanti rājendra sarga-mūtra-purīṣayoḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “O best of kings, righteous people do not relieve themselves—whether urine or feces—on the king’s highway, among cattle, or amid standing grain. Such restraint reflects reverence for public space, living beings, and the livelihood of others.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma includes everyday civic restraint: one should not defile public roads, harm or distress cattle, or damage crops by relieving oneself in such places. Cleanliness here is framed as respect for society, living beings, and others’ livelihood.
Bhīṣma is instructing the king on norms of righteous conduct (sadācāra). He lists specific places—highways, among cattle, and within crops—where a dharmic person avoids urination or defecation, presenting practical ethics as part of royal and social order.