Shloka 41
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
दैवतं हि महच्छुद्धा पवित्र यजतां च यत् । दैवतं हि परं विप्रा: स्वेन स्वेन परस्परम्
daivataṃ hi mahacchuddhā pavitra yajātāṃ ca yat | daivataṃ hi paraṃ viprāḥ svena svena parasparam ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô vous qui êtes purs, ce qui est grand et sanctifiant—digne d’être honoré par ceux qui accomplissent les sacrifices—est véritablement “le divin”. Oui, ô brāhmaṇas, la plus haute divinité pour chacun de vous se trouve dans les autres, chacun à sa manière. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma reframes ‘divinity’ ethically: what is truly divine is that which is great and purifying, and for the learned (viprāḥ) the highest object of reverence is mutual—recognizing sacred worth in one another according to each person’s proper role and conduct.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhīṣma addresses the assembled sages/brāhmaṇas and teaches that holiness is not merely ritual; it is embodied in purifying greatness and in reciprocal honor among the righteous.