Shloka 15
Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)
भरणं पुत्रदाराणां वेदानां धारणं तथा । वसतामाश्रमं श्रेष्ठ वदन्ति परमर्षय:
bharaṇaṃ putradārāṇāṃ vedānāṃ dhāraṇaṃ tathā | vasatām āśramaṃ śreṣṭha vadanti paramarṣayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Les plus grands sages déclarent que deux devoirs sont au premier rang : pourvoir avec droiture aux besoins de ses fils et de son épouse, et maintenir les Vedas par l’étude et la préservation. Pour ceux qui vivent la discipline d’un āśrama, on les loue comme les meilleurs fondements de la conduite.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is grounded in responsibility and continuity: one must sustain dependents (especially in the householder context) and also uphold the Vedas through learning, remembrance, and faithful transmission.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the listener as “O best one” and cites the authority of the highest sages to emphasize key duties for those living within the āśrama framework.