Shloka 26
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
यः स्थित: पुरुषो धर्मे धात्रा सृष्टे यथार्थवत् । आश्रमाणां हि सर्वेषां फल प्राप्रोत्यनामयम्
yaḥ sthitaḥ puruṣo dharme dhātrā sṛṣṭe yathārthavat | āśramāṇāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ phalaṃ prāpnoty anāmayam ||
Bhīṣma dit : Celui qui demeure établi dans le dharma prescrit par le Créateur et le met en pratique selon son esprit véritable obtient le fruit irréprochable et salutaire de toutes les étapes de la vie (āśrama).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
If one faithfully follows the divinely ordained dharma in its true intent, one gains the pure, unobstructed merit associated with all four āśramas—suggesting that sincerity and correctness of practice matter more than merely occupying a particular life-stage.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira about dharma. Here he emphasizes that steadfast adherence to the Creator-ordained duty yields the faultless fruits of the entire āśrama system.