Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
कुट॒म्बिको धर्मकाम: सदास्वप्रश्चन मानव:
kuṭambiko dharmakāmaḥ sadāsvapraśca mānavaḥ
Bhīṣma berkata: “Seorang kepala keluarga yang berbakti pada dharma dan menempuh yang benar hendaknya hidup sebagai manusia yang berdisiplin—senantiasa mengendalikan diri dan waspada dalam perilaku.”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhīṣma emphasizes that the gṛhastha (householder) life must be anchored in dharma and sustained by continual self-restraint; ethical living is not accidental but a daily discipline.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he characterizes the ideal householder as one who consistently chooses dharma and maintains self-control.