Shloka 16
Pātra-Lakṣaṇa and Niścita-Dharma
Marks of a Worthy Recipient and Stable Criteria of Dharma
तया चाहमनुज्ञातो भवांश्वापि प्रकीर्तित: । श्रावितश्नापि तद्वाक्यं गृहं चाभ्यागत: प्रभो:
tayā cāham anujñāto bhavāṁś cāpi prakīrtitaḥ | śrāvitaś cāpi tadvākyaṁ gṛhaṁ cābhyāgataḥ prabhoḥ ||
Bhishma said: “With her permission I was duly dismissed; and you too were spoken of with praise. Having also heard those words from her, I returned home, O lord.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights propriety in conduct: one should act with due permission, value respectful words, and maintain decorum in relationships—ethical behavior is shown through consent, praise without malice, and orderly return to one’s duties.
Bhishma recounts that a woman granted him leave; she also spoke well of the person being addressed. After hearing her statement, Bhishma returned to his home, reporting this sequence to the listener.