Shloka 23
Adhyāya 180: Jīva, Śarīra, and the Fire Analogy (भृगु–भरद्वाज संवादः)
धारयामि च चीराणि शाणक्षौमाजिनानि च । महाहाणि च वासांसि धारयाम्यहमेकदा
dhārayāmi ca cīrāṇi śāṇakṣaumājināni ca | mahāhāṇi ca vāsāṃsi dhārayāmy aham ekadā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Kadang aku mengenakan kain compang-camping, kadang kain kulit kayu; kadang pakaian dari rami dan linen, kadang kulit rusa. Namun pada masa tertentu aku pun mengenakan banyak busana yang mahal.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not define oneself by external possessions. Whether one lives in austerity or has access to luxury, the ethical ideal is steadiness of mind and freedom from attachment to either condition.
Bhishma, while instructing on dharma and right conduct in the Shanti Parva, describes his own varying modes of dress—from rags and bark to fine fabrics and costly robes—to illustrate equanimity and non-attachment in practice.