Shloka 17
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
यज्वा च दान्तो मेधावी ब्रह्माण्य: सत्यसड्र: | न चावमन्ता दाता च वेदवेदाड़्रपारग:
yajvā ca dānto medhāvī brahmaṇyaḥ satyasaṅgaraḥ | na cāvamantā dātā ca vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಅವನು ಯಜ್ಞಕರ್ತ, ಇಂದ್ರಿಯನಿಗ್ರಹವುಳ್ಳವನು, ಮೇಧಾವಿ; ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣಭಕ್ತ ಮತ್ತು ಸತ್ಯನಿಷ್ಠ. ಯಾರನ್ನೂ ಅವಮಾನಿಸದೆ, ದಾನಶೀಲನಾಗಿ, ವೇದಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ವೇದಾಂಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಪಾರಂಗತನಾಗಿದ್ದನು.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an ethical ideal: true excellence combines ritual responsibility (yajña), inner discipline (dama), intelligence (medhā), reverence for sacred learning and Brahmins (brahmaṇya), unwavering truthfulness (satya), humility (non-contempt), generosity (dāna), and mastery of scriptural knowledge (Veda and Vedāṅgas).
Bhishma is describing a person’s commendable qualities in the context of instruction on dharma, listing virtues that mark a worthy and cultured leader or noble individual—especially generosity, restraint, and Vedic competence.