Shloka 131
श्रीशक्रसंवादः — The Dialogue of Śrī
Lakṣmī) and Śakra (Indra
भार्या गच्छन् ब्रह्मचारी ऋतौ भवति वै द्विज: । ऋतवादी भवेन्नित्यं ज्ञाननित्यश्ष यो नर:
bhāryā gacchan brahmacārī ṛtau bhavati vai dvijaḥ | ṛtavādī bhavennityaṃ jñānanityaś ca yo naraḥ ||
Seorang dwija yang mendatangi istrinya hanya pada musim yang semestinya, pada hakikatnya adalah brahmacārī dalam laku. Ia hendaknya senantiasa berkata benar tentang musim itu dan tetap teguh dalam pengetahuan—demikianlah hidup yang berdisiplin di tengah kewajiban rumah tangga.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
That disciplined restraint within household life—approaching one’s wife only at the proper time (ṛtu), speaking truthfully/acting in accord with that regulation, and remaining steady in knowledge—counts as a form of brahmacarya in conduct.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira standards of regulated conduct for a householder, emphasizing sexual restraint, truthfulness about proper timing, and constancy in right knowledge.