Shloka 24
Śuka’s Nirveda: Vyāsa’s Admonition on Dharma, Impermanence, and ‘Imperishable Wealth’ (अक्षय-धन)
तपस्विनां धर्मवतां विदुषां चोपसेवनात् । प्राप्स्यसे विपुलां बुद्धि तथा श्रेयोडभिपत्स्यसे
tapasvināṁ dharmavatāṁ viduṣāṁ copasevanāt | prāpsyase vipulāṁ buddhiṁ tathā śreyo 'bhipatsyase, rājan ||
Bhīṣma dit : En fréquentant et en servant les ascètes, les justes et les savants, tu acquerras une intelligence vaste et pénétrante ; et par elle, ô roi, tu atteindras ce qui est réellement bénéfique et de bon augure pour ta vie.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that respectful association and service (upasevā) to ascetics, righteous people, and the learned is a direct means to cultivate expansive discernment (vipulā buddhi), which in turn leads one to śreyas—true welfare and lasting good.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhishma continues his counsel on right conduct and governance, emphasizing that a ruler’s clarity and moral success arise from seeking guidance through humble service to spiritually disciplined, dharmic, and scholarly elders.