Shloka 16
Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)
श्रेष्ठ आश्रम गार्हस्थ्यमें निवास करनेवाले द्विजोंके लिये महर्षिगण यह कर्तव्य बताते हैं कि वह स्त्री और पुत्रोंका भरण-पोषण तथा वेदशास्त्रोंका स्वाध्याय करे ।।
evaṁ hi yo brāhmaṇo yajñaśīlo gārhasthyam adhyāvasate yathāvat | gṛhasthavṛttiṁ praviśodhya samyak svarge viśuddhaṁ phalam āpnute saḥ ||
Bhishma berkata—para resi menyatakan bahwa bagi kaum dwija yang tinggal dalam āśrama gṛhastha yang mulia, kewajiban yang patut ialah menafkahi istri dan anak-anak serta menekuni swādhyāya Veda dan śāstra dengan disiplin. Sungguh, seorang brāhmaṇa yang secara alami tekun pada yajña dan menjalani dharma rumah tangga menurut ketentuan—dengan menyucikan mata pencaharian dan perilakunya sepenuhnya—akan meraih di surga ganjaran yang murni dan tak ternoda.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Householder life is praised as an excellent āśrama when lived according to rule: one should support dependents (wife and children), maintain disciplined study of Veda/śāstra, and keep one’s livelihood and conduct pure; such a life yields a ‘pure fruit’ (viśuddha-phala), described here as heavenly merit.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. In this passage he explains the sages’ view of gṛhastha-dharma, emphasizing sacrifice-oriented living, responsible maintenance of family, and purification of one’s means of living as the basis for meritorious results.