Shloka 7
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
अहनि् पूजयतो नित्यं संविभागेन पाण्डव । सर्वतस्तस्य कौन्तेय भैक्ष्याश्रमपर्द भवेत्
ahani pūjayato nityaṃ saṃvibhāgena pāṇḍava | sarvatas tasya kaunteya bhaikṣyāśramapadaṃ bhavet ||
Bhishma said: O Pandava, O son of Kunti—one who, day after day, continually honors worthy persons by giving them what they desire, through a spirit of sharing and distribution, attains the state and spiritual course associated with the mendicant/brahmacārin life. The ethical point is that steady reverence expressed through generous giving purifies one’s conduct and leads toward the disciplined, renunciant ideal.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Consistent honoring of worthy people through generous sharing—giving what is desired/needed—cultivates purity and discipline, leading to the spiritual merit associated with the mendicant or brahmacārin mode of life.
In the Śānti Parva instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war, emphasizing that daily acts of reverence expressed through charitable distribution yield high spiritual attainment.