Shloka 35
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
अधीत्य च यथान्यायं विधिवत् तस्य कारिण: । उपपन्नो गुरुकुले सत्यवादी सहस्रश:
adhītya ca yathānyāyaṁ vidhivat tasya kāriṇaḥ | upapanno gurukule satyavādī sahasraśaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Those who have duly studied according to rule, and who act in accordance with that teaching; who have been properly trained in the teacher’s household (gurukula); and who have proved truthful (satyavādī) on countless occasions—such Brahmins, endowed with disciplined conduct and learning, possess a sanctifying power. By their very presence, they purify other Brahmins seated within the range of their sight.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Learning is not sufficient by itself: one must study correctly (yathā-nyāyam), follow scriptural procedure (vidhivat), and embody the teaching in conduct (tasya kāriṇaḥ). Truthfulness (satyavāda) and disciplined training in the gurukula are presented as marks of genuine spiritual and social authority, capable of purifying others.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he praises a class of well-trained, truthful, properly practicing Brahmins and describes their sanctifying influence, emphasizing the ethical power of lived discipline and verified integrity.