Shloka 75
पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
चिरं वृद्धानुपासीत चिरमन्वास्य पूजयेत् । चिरं धर्म निषेवेत कुर्याच्चान्वेषणं चिरम्
ciraṁ vṛddhānupāsīta ciraṁ anvāsya pūjayet | ciraṁ dharmaṁ niṣeveta kuryāc cānveṣaṇaṁ ciram ||
Bhīṣma said: “For a long time one should attend upon the elders; for a long time, staying in their company, one should honor and revere them. For a long time one should practice dharma, and for a long time one should also inquire into it—seeking it out through sustained reflection and investigation.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical excellence is cultivated over time: by sustained service to elders, respectful learning in their presence, long practice of dharma, and continuous inquiry into what dharma truly requires.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising on right conduct, stressing a disciplined, long-term approach—learning from elders and persistently practicing and investigating dharma.