Shloka 6
Śvetadvīpa-varṇana and Śāstra-pravartana (Śānti Parva 322)
प्रियदेवातिथेयाश्व वदान्या: प्रियसाधव: । क्षेम्यमात्मवतां मार्गमास्थिता हस्तदक्षिणम्
priyadevā-titheyāś ca vadānyāḥ priyasādhavaḥ | kṣemyam ātmavatāṁ mārgam āsthitā hastadakṣiṇam ||
Bhishma said: Those who delight in worship of the gods and in honoring guests, who are generous, and who cherish the company of the virtuous—such meritorious, self-possessed people take up the auspicious and secure path, as dependable as one’s own right hand, that leads toward the goal upheld by disciplined yogins.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma links everyday dharma—devotion to the gods, honoring guests, generosity, and love of the virtuous—with inner discipline. Such qualities mark the self-controlled person who naturally adopts a safe and auspicious path aligned with yogic self-mastery.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on righteous conduct. Here he characterizes the kind of people who are fit for the welfare-bringing path: those devoted to worship and hospitality, generous in giving, and attached to the company of the good.