Shloka 29
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
यथा पत्याश्रयो धर्म: स्त्रीणां लोके सनातन: । सदैव सा गतिर्नान्या तथास्माकं द्विजातय:
yathā patyāśrayo dharmaḥ strīṇāṃ loke sanātanaḥ | sadaiva sā gatir nānyā tathāsmākaṃ dvijātayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «De même qu’en ce monde le devoir immémorial des femmes repose sur l’époux comme soutien, de même, pour nous, les “deux-fois-nés” sont à jamais un refuge. Pour nous, il n’est point d’autre abri qu’eux.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma frames dharma in terms of recognized sources of support: as a wife’s duty is traditionally described as resting on her husband as refuge, so the community should regard the twice-born—especially brāhmaṇas—as its guiding shelter, implying reliance on their counsel, ritual authority, and moral instruction.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising on norms of conduct and social-religious order, emphasizing the role of the twice-born (notably brāhmaṇas) as a primary support for society and for the speaker’s community.