Shloka 97
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सदा द्वादशमासान् वै जुह्मानो जातवेदसम् | अहिंसानिरतो धीमान् सत्यवागनसूयक:
sadā dvādaśa-māsān vai juhmāno jātavedasam | ahiṁsā-nirato dhīmān satyavāg anasūyakaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Celui qui, durant les douze mois, verse sans relâche des oblations dans Jātavedas (le feu sacrificiel), qui est voué à la non-violence, sage dans sa conduite, véridique dans sa parole et sans esprit de blâme—celui-là incarne la vie de discipline et de droiture que le dharma loue.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual practice (regular fire-offerings through the yearly cycle) is presented alongside moral disciplines—non-violence, truthfulness, wisdom, and freedom from fault-finding—implying that dharma is fulfilled most completely when outer observance is matched by inner ethical restraint.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing on dharma and virtuous conduct. Here he describes the qualities of an exemplary practitioner: one who maintains sustained sacrificial observance while embodying key ethical virtues, highlighting the ideal character praised in his discourse.