Shloka 6
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
आदित्यश्रन्द्रमा वायुरापो भूरम्बरं दिश:
ādityaś candramā vāyur āpo bhūr ambaram diśaḥ
Bhīṣma said: “The Sun, the Moon, the Wind, the Waters, the Earth, the Sky, and the Directions—these cosmic powers stand ever-present as witnesses and supports of the order of dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That dharma is grounded in the cosmic order: the fundamental forces of the universe (sun, moon, wind, waters, earth, sky, directions) are invoked as ever-present witnesses and supports, reminding one that ethical conduct is accountable beyond human society.
Bhīṣma, in his instruction during the Anuśāsana Parva, lists major cosmic elements/deities to frame his moral discourse—strengthening the authority of his counsel by appealing to universal, omnipresent powers that observe and uphold right conduct.