Shloka 70
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
शिर:स्नातस्तु तैलैश्व नांगं किंचिदपि स्पृशेत् । तिलसृष्टं न चाश्नीयात् तथास्यायुर्न रिष्यते
śiraḥ-snātastu tailaiś ca nāṅgaṃ kiñcid api spṛśet | tila-sṛṣṭaṃ na cāśnīyāt tathāsyāyur na riṣyate ||
Bhīṣma dit : Après s’être lavé la tête et y avoir appliqué de l’huile, qu’on ne touche aucune autre partie du corps avec cette même main. Qu’on ne mange pas non plus de préparations à base de sésame. En observant cette retenue, la durée de vie n’est pas diminuée. (Cet enseignement relève d’une discipline plus vaste de pureté corporelle et de conduite réglée, transmise comme partie du dharma.)
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches regulated personal conduct (ācāra) connected with purity: after oiling the head post-bath, one should avoid touching other body parts with the same hand and avoid eating sesame-based preparations; such discipline is said to protect one’s longevity.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Bhīṣma continues giving Yudhiṣṭhira practical rules of daily conduct and ritual hygiene, presenting them as observances that support health, order, and the maintenance of life.