Shloka 6
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
भीष्मजीने कहा--युधिष्ठिर! तुम मुझसे जो पूछ रहे हो, इसका उत्तर देता हूँ। मनुष्य जिस कारणसे अल्पायु होता है, जिस उपायसे दीर्घायु होता है, जिससे वह कीर्ति और सम्पत्तिका भागी होता है तथा जिस बर्तावसे पुरुषको श्रेयका संयोग प्राप्त होता है, वह सब बताता हूँ, सुनो ।।
bhīṣma uvāca—yudhiṣṭhira! tvaṃ māṃ yat pṛcchasi, tasya te prativakṣyāmi. yena manuṣyo 'lpāyur bhavati, yena dīrghāyur bhavati, yena kīrti-sampad-bhāgī bhavati, yena ca vyavahāreṇa puruṣaḥ śreyasaḥ saṃyogaṃ prāpnoti—tat sarvaṃ te vakṣyāmi; śṛṇu. ācārāl labhate hy āyur ācārāl labhate śriyam | ācārāt kīrtim āpnoti puruṣaḥ pretya ceha ca ||
Bhishma dijo: «¡Yudhishthira! Responderé a lo que me preguntas. Te diré las causas por las que un hombre vive poco, los medios por los que vive largo tiempo, cómo llega a participar de la fama y la prosperidad, y qué conducta lo une al bien supremo: escucha. Por la recta conducta (ācāra) se alcanza la longevidad; por la recta conducta se alcanza la prosperidad; y por la recta conducta el hombre obtiene renombre, tanto en este mundo como después de la muerte.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that ethical discipline (ācāra/sadācāra) is the root cause of a good human life: it supports longevity, brings prosperity, and yields lasting fame both in this world and beyond, ultimately aligning a person with śreyas (the highest good).
In the Anushasana Parva, Yudhishthira questions Bhishma about the principles that govern human welfare—why people become short-lived or long-lived and how they gain prosperity and renown. Bhishma begins his reply by establishing ‘right conduct’ as the central determinant of these outcomes.