Shloka 49
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न भग्ने नावशीर्णे च शयने प्रस्वपीत च । नान्तर्थाने न संयुक्ते न च तिर्यक् कदाचन
na bhagne nāvaśīrṇe ca śayane prasvapīta ca | nāntarthāne na saṃyukte na ca tiryak kadācana ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Qu’on ne dorme pas sur un lit brisé ou disjoint. Qu’on ne s’étende pas pour dormir sur une couche tenue dans l’obscurité sans l’avoir d’abord examinée à la lumière. Qu’on ne dorme pas avec quelqu’un d’autre dans le même lit. De même, qu’on ne dorme jamais en travers ; qu’on s’allonge droit.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma includes careful, disciplined daily conduct: avoid unsafe or improper sleeping arrangements (broken bed, darkness without checking, sharing a bed), and maintain orderly posture—habits that protect safety, modesty, and self-control.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on codes of right conduct (ācāra). Here he gives practical household guidance about how and where one should sleep, presenting everyday prudence as a moral duty.