Shloka 8
मोक्षधर्मः — स्नेहपाशच्छेदः
Mokṣa-dharma: Cutting the Bonds of Attachment
गाँव या जनसमुदायमें दायें-बायें न करे--किसीकी पक्ष-विपक्ष न करे तथा भिक्षावृत्तिको छोड़कर किसीके यहाँ पहलेसे निमन्त्रित होकर भोजनके लिये न जाय ।।
avakīrṇaḥ sugupteśnān na vācā hāpriyaṃ vadet | mṛduḥ syād apratikrūro visrabdhaḥ syād akatthanaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Let him live without entangling himself in factions; in a village or among a crowd he should not take sides for or against anyone. Abandoning the livelihood of begging-for-food, he should not go to another’s house for a meal merely on prior invitation. He should eat in a guarded and disciplined manner, speak no harsh or unpleasing words, be gentle and not cruel in response, remain calm and trusting in conduct, and never boast.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Maintain ethical restraint: avoid factionalism, do not depend on social invitations for food, eat with discipline, speak no harsh words, respond without cruelty, remain composed, and avoid boasting.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct; here he outlines practical behavioral rules—especially for a disciplined, renunciant-leaning life—centered on neutrality, self-control, and gentle speech.