Shloka 15
Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)
भरणं पुत्रदाराणां वेदानां धारणं तथा । वसतामाश्रमं श्रेष्ठ वदन्ति परमर्षय:
bharaṇaṃ putradārāṇāṃ vedānāṃ dhāraṇaṃ tathā | vasatām āśramaṃ śreṣṭha vadanti paramarṣayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Para resi tertinggi menyatakan bahwa dua kewajibanlah yang terutama: menafkahi putra dan istri dengan cara yang benar, serta menegakkan Veda—yakni mempelajari, menjaga, dan melestarikannya. Bagi mereka yang hidup dalam tata āśrama, inilah landasan perilaku yang paling dipuji.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is grounded in responsibility and continuity: one must sustain dependents (especially in the householder context) and also uphold the Vedas through learning, remembrance, and faithful transmission.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the listener as “O best one” and cites the authority of the highest sages to emphasize key duties for those living within the āśrama framework.