Shloka 30
Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications
न धनार्थ यशो<र्थ वा धर्मस्तेषां युधिष्ठिर । अवश्यं कार्य इत्येव शरीरस्य क्रियास्तथा,युधिष्ठिर! उनका धर्मपालन धन बटोरने या यश कमानेके लिये नहीं होता। वे धर्म तथा शारीरिक क्रियाओंको अवश्यकर्तव्य समझकर ही करते हैं
na dhanārthaṃ yaśo'rthaṃ vā dharmas teṣāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | avaśyaṃ kārya ityeva śarīrasya kriyās tathā ||
Bhishma berkata: Wahai Yudhishthira, laku dharma mereka bukan untuk mengumpulkan harta atau meraih kemasyhuran. Mereka bertindak karena keyakinan bahwa dharma wajib dijalankan; demikian pula tugas-tugas jasmani yang perlu dilakukan, mereka kerjakan semata-mata karena itu memang harus dilakukan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma should be performed without ulterior motives such as wealth or fame; it is to be done because it is intrinsically obligatory—like the basic maintenance-actions of the body that one performs simply because they must be done.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhishthira, describing the attitude of the truly virtuous: they uphold dharma as a necessary duty rather than as a means to worldly reward or social recognition.