Shloka 36
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
दान्तस्य किमरण्येन तथा5दान्तस्थ भारत । यत्रैव निवसेद् दान्तस्तदरण्यं स चाश्रम:
dāntasya kim araṇyena tathā adāntasya bhārata | yatraiva nivased dāntas tad araṇyaṃ sa cāśramaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô Bhārata, quel besoin la forêt a-t-elle pour l’homme qui se maîtrise ? Et quel profit la forêt apporte-t-elle à celui qui ne se maîtrise pas ? Là où demeure l’homme discipliné, là même est sa forêt, et là même son ermitage (āśrama). »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
External renunciation (living in a forest) has value only when grounded in inner restraint. True ‘forest’ and ‘hermitage’ are defined by self-control; without it, changing location or lifestyle brings little spiritual benefit.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma emphasizes ethical cultivation after the war, teaching that discipline and mastery of the senses are more essential than outward marks of ascetic life.