Shloka 71
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
प्राणा हि मम दाराश्न यच्चान्यद् विद्यते वसु । अतिथिभ्यो मया देयमिति मे व्रतमाहितम्
prāṇā hi mama dārāś ca yac cānyad vidyate vasu | atithibhyo mayā deyam iti me vratam āhitam ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Mon souffle même, mon épouse, et toute autre richesse que je possède—tout cela, de ma part, doit être donné pour le bien des hôtes. Tel est le vœu (vrata) que j’ai pris et maintenu avec fermeté. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches atithi-dharma: hospitality is a binding ethical duty. One should regard service to guests as so sacred that even one’s life and dearest possessions are to be placed at their disposal, as a consciously adopted vow (vrata).
Bhishma states his personal resolve: he has established a vow that whatever he has—life, spouse, and wealth—is meant to be given for guests. The statement functions as an authoritative model of righteous conduct within his instruction on dharma.