Shloka 17
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
अजिह्दय॒मशठं मार्ग वर्तमानस्य भारत । सर्वदा सर्वभूतेषु ब्रह्माश्रमपदं भवेत्
ajihvam aśaṭhaṁ mārge vartamānasya bhārata | sarvadā sarvabhūteṣu brahmāśramapadaṁ bhavet ||
Bhīṣma bersabda—Wahai Bhārata, siapa yang menapaki jalan dharma—ucapannya tidak bermuka dua dan perilakunya bebas dari tipu daya—yang setiap saat bersikap lurus dan benar terhadap semua makhluk, baginya pun muncul kedudukan dan pahala Brahma-āśrama.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Straightforward speech and freedom from deceit—practiced consistently toward all beings—are themselves powerful dharmic disciplines that yield the merit and inner stature associated with the Brahma-āśrama.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war, emphasizing that ethical integrity in everyday dealings can confer the same spiritual fruit as formal āśrama observances.