Shloka 6
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
कितवो भ्रूणहा यक्ष्मी पशुपालो निराकृति: । ग्रामप्रेष्यो वार्धुषिको गायन: सर्वविक्रयी
kitavo bhrūṇahā yakṣmī paśupālo nirākṛtiḥ | grāmapreṣyo vārdhuṣiko gāyanaḥ sarvavikrayī ||
Bhīṣma said: “A gambler, a slayer of an embryo, one afflicted with wasting disease, a keeper of cattle of low conduct, a man of deformed/repulsive appearance, a village menial sent on errands, a usurer, a professional singer, and one who sells anything and everything—such persons are counted among the socially censured and morally suspect types.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse catalogs types of people regarded as ethically compromised or socially censured—those associated with grave sin (like foeticide), harmful habits (gambling), exploitative livelihood (usury), or disreputable conduct—implying that dharma requires discernment about character and association.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues his didactic discourse by listing categories of persons viewed as blameworthy or unfit in certain social-ethical contexts, as part of broader guidance on conduct and moral evaluation.