Shloka 131
श्रीशक्रसंवादः — The Dialogue of Śrī
Lakṣmī) and Śakra (Indra
भार्या गच्छन् ब्रह्मचारी ऋतौ भवति वै द्विज: । ऋतवादी भवेन्नित्यं ज्ञाननित्यश्ष यो नर:
bhāryā gacchan brahmacārī ṛtau bhavati vai dvijaḥ | ṛtavādī bhavennityaṃ jñānanityaś ca yo naraḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Le dvija (le “deux-fois-né”) qui ne s’approche de son épouse qu’en la saison convenable (ṛtu) est, par sa conduite, comme un brahmacārin. Qu’il soit toujours véridique au sujet de cette saison et demeure constant dans la connaissance : ainsi vit-il dans une retenue disciplinée tout en accomplissant les devoirs du foyer.»
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
That disciplined restraint within household life—approaching one’s wife only at the proper time (ṛtu), speaking truthfully/acting in accord with that regulation, and remaining steady in knowledge—counts as a form of brahmacarya in conduct.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira standards of regulated conduct for a householder, emphasizing sexual restraint, truthfulness about proper timing, and constancy in right knowledge.