Shloka 5
Durgātitaraṇa—Conduct for Crossing Difficulties (दुर्गातितरणम्)
वासयन्त्यतिथीन् नित्य नित्यं ये चानसूयका: । नित्यं स्वाध्यायशीलाश्न दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते
bhīṣma uvāca | vāsayanty atithīn nityaṁ nityaṁ ye cān asūyakāḥ | nityaṁ svādhyāya-śīlāś ca durgāṇy atitaranti te ||
जो प्रतिदिन अतिथियों का सत्कारपूर्वक आतिथ्य करते हैं, जो नित्य अनसूय (दोषदर्शी-भाव से रहित) रहते हैं, और जो नियमपूर्वक प्रतिदिन स्वाध्याय में लगे रहते हैं—वे दुर्गम संकटों से पार हो जाते हैं।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that three steady virtues—honoring guests (atithi-satkara), being free from malice and fault-finding (anasuya), and daily disciplined study of sacred knowledge (svadhyaya)—create moral strength that helps a person overcome even severe difficulties.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira by listing practical marks of righteous conduct and their fruits, here emphasizing hospitality, non-censoriousness, and daily scriptural study as protections in times of danger.