Shloka 2
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
भीष्म उवाच गुरुपूजा च सतत वृद्धानां पर्युपासनम् । श्रवण चैव शास्त्राणां कूटस्थं श्रेय उच्यते,भीष्मजीने कहा--युधिष्ठि!! सदा गुरुजनोंकी पूजा, वृद्ध पुरुषोंकी सेवा और शास्त्रोंका श्रवण--ये तीन कल्याणके अमोघ साधन बताये जाते हैं
bhīṣma uvāca gurupūjā ca satataṁ vṛddhānāṁ paryupāsanam | śravaṇaṁ caiva śāstrāṇāṁ kūṭasthaṁ śreya ucyate ||
Bhishma said: Constant reverence to one’s teachers, attentive service to the aged, and the listening to sacred teachings—these are declared to be steady and unfailing means of true welfare.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that lasting welfare (śreyas) is secured through three steady disciplines: honoring teachers, serving the elderly with respect, and regularly listening to śāstric instruction so that dharma becomes internalized and stable.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and lists practical foundations of righteous living—social reverence, compassionate service, and scriptural learning—as reliable supports for dharma after the devastation of war.