Shloka 6

Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः

Devanagari script

प्रियदेवातिथेयाश्व वदान्या: प्रियसाधव: । क्षेम्यमात्मवतां मार्गमास्थिता हस्तदक्षिणम्‌,जिन्हें देवपूजा और अतिथिसत्कार प्रिय है, जो उदार हैं तथा श्रेष्ठ पुरुष जिन्हें अच्छे लगते हैं, वे पुण्यात्मा मनुष्य अपने दाहिने हाथके समान मंगलकारी एवं मनको वशमें रखनेवाले योगियोंको ही प्राप्त होनेयोग्य मार्गपर आरूढ़ होते हैं

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: priyadevā-titheyāś ca vadānyāḥ priyasādhavaḥ | kṣemyaṃ ātma-vatāṃ mārgaṃ āsthitā hasta-dakṣiṇam ||

Translation

Bhishma said: Those who delight in worship of the gods and in honoring guests, who are generous, and who cherish the company of the good—such meritorious people take up the auspicious and secure path of the self-controlled, a path as trustworthy as one’s own right hand.

Word by Word

प्रियदेवातिथेयाःthose to whom worship of gods and honoring guests are dear

अश्वदान्याःgivers of horses (liberal donors)

वदान्याःgenerous

प्रियसाधवःthose to whom the good/saints are dear

क्षेम्यम्auspicious, welfare-giving

आत्मवताम्of the self-controlled / of the wise

मार्गम्path

आस्थिताःhaving resorted to / having taken up

हस्तदक्षिणम्right-hand-like (i.e., most helpful/auspicious)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma links social-religious duties (worship and hospitality) and moral virtues (generosity, love of the good) with inner discipline: such people naturally enter a secure, auspicious path grounded in self-mastery, portrayed as dependable as one’s right hand.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing the qualities of righteous people and the kind of path they adopt—one characterized by welfare, auspiciousness, and self-control.