Shloka 117
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
सम्बन्धिनां च राजेन्द्र तथा<<युर्विन्दते महत् । राजेन्द्र युधिष्ठिर! वैद्यों, बालकों, वृद्धों, भृत्यों, बन्धुओं, ब्राह्मणों, शरणार्थियों तथा सम्बन्धियोंकी स्त्रियोंक पास कभी न जाय। ऐसा करनेसे दीर्घायु प्राप्त होती है ।।
sambandhināṁ ca rājendra tathā āyur vindate mahat | rājendra yudhiṣṭhira vaidyān bālakān vṛddhān bhṛtyān bandhūn brāhmaṇān śaraṇārthinaḥ tathā sambandhinīḥ striyaḥ kasyāpi na gacchet | evaṁ kṛtvā dīrghāyur bhavati ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai raja, dengan pengendalian diri seperti itu seseorang memperoleh umur panjang yang besar. Wahai Raja Yudhiṣṭhira, janganlah sekali-kali mendekati—karena nafsu atau maksud yang tidak patut—para tabib, anak-anak, orang tua, para tanggungan, sanak-kerabat, para brāhmaṇa, para pencari suaka, serta istri-istri kerabat. Dengan bertindak demikian, seseorang meraih panjang umur.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that ethical restraint—especially avoiding any improper approach toward protected or vulnerable persons (children, elders, dependents, brāhmaṇas, refugees, and relatives’ wives)—is a form of dharma that preserves social trust and is said to yield the fruit of long life.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he gives a specific rule of personal discipline, listing categories of people toward whom one must maintain strict propriety, and links this discipline to the benefit of longevity.