Shloka 35
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
सर्वाश्रमपदेप्याहुर्गाहस्थ्यं दीप्तनिर्णयम् । पावन पुरुषव्याप्र यं धर्म पर्युपास्महे
sarvāśramapade’py āhur gārhasthyaṁ dīptanirṇayam | pāvanaṁ puruṣavyāghra yaṁ dharmaṁ paryupāsmahe, puruṣasiṁha |
Bhishma said: “O tiger among men, the learned—those who know the śāstras—declare that the householder’s way of life is the foremost among all the stages of life, and a purifier. The dharma we practice as householders is upheld by a clear and authoritative scriptural verdict, widely recognized by all.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that gārhasthya (the householder’s dharma) is regarded by śāstra-knowing sages as the श्रेष्ठ (foremost) among the four āśramas because it sustains society through responsibility, support of other āśramas, and purifying righteous action.
In Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma after the war. Here he emphasizes, with scriptural backing, the excellence and sanctifying power of the householder path, addressing Yudhishthira with honorific epithets like ‘puruṣavyāghra’ and ‘puruṣasiṁha’.