Shloka 23
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
ज्येष्ठानुज्येष्ठपत्नीनां भ्रातृणां पुत्रनप्तृणाम् । निग्रहानुग्रहौ पार्थ गाहस्थ्यमिति तत् तप:
jyeṣṭhānujyeṣṭhapatnīnāṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ putranaptṝṇām | nigrahānugrahau pārtha gārhasthyam iti tat tapaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Pārtha, la discipline de la vie domestique consiste à savoir quand réprimer et quand accorder sa faveur—envers les aînés et les cadets, envers les épouses des aînés et les parents plus jeunes, envers les frères, les fils et les petits-fils. Cette gouvernance équilibrée de la famille est, en elle-même, une austérité (tapas).»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Householder dharma is not merely ritual or earning a livelihood; it is the disciplined art of applying restraint (nigraha) and kindness/support (anugraha) appropriately within the family. This balanced moral governance is itself tapas (austerity).
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira’s side (addressing Arjuna here as ‘Pārtha’) on dharma after the war. This verse highlights domestic ethics: how one should regulate and nurture relationships with elders, younger relatives, brothers, children, and grandchildren.