Shloka 57
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
सर्वे धर्मपराश्चासन् सर्वे सततसत्रिण: । अन्तरिक्षचरा: सर्वे सर्वेडभिमुखयोधिन:
sarve dharmaparāś cāsan sarve satatasatriṇaḥ | antarīkṣacarāḥ sarve sarve 'bhimukhayodhinaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Mereka semua berpegang pada dharma; semuanya tekun melaksanakan satra-yajña tanpa henti. Mereka semua bergerak di angkasa, dan semuanya adalah pejuang yang bertarung berhadapan—terbuka, tanpa tipu daya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises an ideal community where righteousness (dharma), disciplined ritual life (satra/yajña), and ethical warfare (direct, face-to-face combat) coexist—suggesting that power and prowess are meant to be governed by moral restraint and transparent conduct.
Bhīṣma is describing a group of beings/warriors characterized by unwavering dharma, continual sacrificial practice, the ability to move through the sky, and a commitment to straightforward battle—setting an ethical and cultural portrait rather than recounting a single action.