Shloka 5
Anuśāsana-parva Adhyāya 112: Dharma as the sole companion; karmic witnesses; rebirth sequences
Bṛhaspati–Yudhiṣṭhira Saṃvāda
निर्ममा निरहंकारा निर्दधन्धा निष्परिग्रहा: | शुचयस्तीर्थभूतास्ते ये भैक्ष्यमुपभुज्जते
bhīṣma uvāca | nirmamā nirahaṅkārā nirdvandvā niṣparigrahāḥ | śucayas tīrthabhūtās te ye bhaikṣyam upabhuñjate ||
Bhīṣma dit : Ceux qui sont libres de l’esprit de possession et de l’ego, qui ont dépassé les paires d’opposés, et qui ne thésaurisent ni ne s’attachent aux biens—ces êtres au cœur pur, vivant d’aumônes, sont eux-mêmes semblables à des lieux saints de pèlerinage (tīrthas). Leur manière de vivre devient une leçon vivante de retenue, d’humilité et de dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A truly holy person is defined not by external rites but by inner freedom: absence of possessiveness and ego, equanimity beyond dualities, and non-accumulation. Such a person, living simply on alms, becomes ‘tīrtha-like’—a source of purification and moral inspiration for others.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he describes the marks of purified ascetics and virtuous renouncers. He elevates their disciplined, non-possessive life as itself a sacred presence, comparable to a pilgrimage-site.