Shloka 71
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
प्राणा हि मम दाराश्न यच्चान्यद् विद्यते वसु । अतिथिभ्यो मया देयमिति मे व्रतमाहितम्
prāṇā hi mama dārāś ca yac cānyad vidyate vasu | atithibhyo mayā deyam iti me vratam āhitam ||
ភីស្មាបាននិយាយថា៖ «ដង្ហើមជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំ ប្រពន្ធរបស់ខ្ញុំ និងទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិអ្វីៗទាំងអស់ដែលខ្ញុំមាន—ទាំងអស់នេះ ខាងខ្ញុំ ត្រូវបូជាឲ្យអតិថិជន។ នេះជាវ្រត (ពាក្យសច្ចៈ) ដែលខ្ញុំបានកាន់យ៉ាងមាំមួន»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches atithi-dharma: hospitality is a binding ethical duty. One should regard service to guests as so sacred that even one’s life and dearest possessions are to be placed at their disposal, as a consciously adopted vow (vrata).
Bhishma states his personal resolve: he has established a vow that whatever he has—life, spouse, and wealth—is meant to be given for guests. The statement functions as an authoritative model of righteous conduct within his instruction on dharma.