Shloka 4
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
येषां बालाश्न वृद्धाश्व पितृपैतामहीं धुरम् । उद्धहन्ति न सीदन्ति तेभ्यो वै स्पृहयाम्यहम्
yeṣāṃ bālāś ca vṛddhāś ca pitṛ-paitāmahīṃ dhuram | uddahanti na sīdanti tebhyo vai spṛhayāmy aham ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Aku merindukan mereka yang dalam keluarganya—dari yang muda hingga yang tua—memanggul beban dharma warisan ayah dan kakek, namun tidak tenggelam olehnya dan tidak pula patah semangat. Para pemikul dharma turun-temurun yang teguh itulah yang kukagumi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises steadfastness in inherited dharma: people who, across generations, accept the responsibilities handed down in the family and perform them without resentment or discouragement are worthy of admiration.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on righteous conduct. Here he highlights an ethical ideal—families where both young and old uphold ancestral religious and social duties without feeling burdened or disheartened.