Shloka 456
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
अकृत्वा देवपूजां च नाचरेद् दन्तधावनम् | सदा एकाग्रचित्त हो दिनमें उत्तरकी ओर मुँह करके ही मल-मूत्रका त्याग करे। दन्तधावन किये बिना देवताओंकी पूजा न करे
akṛtvā devapūjāṃ ca nācared dantadhāvanam | sadā ekāgracitto hi dine uttarakīṃ diśaṃ mukhaṃ kṛtvāiva mala-mūtra-tyāgaṃ kuryāt | dantadhāvanaṃ kṛtvā vinā devān na pūjayet |
Jangan melakukan pembersihan gigi tanpa terlebih dahulu menyelesaikan pemujaan kepada para dewa; dan jangan pula memuja para dewa tanpa terlebih dahulu membersihkan gigi. Dengan batin yang senantiasa terpusat, pada siang hari hendaknya seseorang buang hajat menghadap ke utara.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma links dharma to everyday discipline: maintain bodily cleanliness (tooth-cleaning), mental focus (ekāgratā), and proper ritual order with worship, treating these as ethical foundations of a regulated life.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on rules of daily routine—how to conduct worship and personal hygiene, and even the proper orientation while attending to bodily functions.