आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न चापि गच्छेत् कार्येण समयाद् वापि नास्तिकै: । आसन तु पदा55कृष्य न प्रसज्जेत् तथा नर:
na cāpi gacchet kāryeṇa samayād vāpi nāstikaiḥ | āsanaṁ tu padākṛṣya na prasajjet tathā naraḥ ||
भीष्म म्हणाले—कार्य पडले तरी नास्तिकांच्या संगतीने जाऊ नये; त्यांनी करार केला किंवा शपथ घेतली तरी त्यांच्या बरोबर प्रवास करू नये. तसेच पायाने ओढून आणलेल्या आसनावर बसण्याची सवय लावू नये.
भीष्म उवाच
One should guard one’s moral and spiritual integrity by avoiding close association—especially travel or partnership—with nāstikas, even when necessity or formal promises seem to justify it; and one should not indulge in disrespectful or degrading conduct (symbolized by sitting on a seat dragged by the foot).
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and proper conduct, giving practical behavioral cautions: whom to associate with, when to refuse companionship, and how everyday gestures (like treating a seat disrespectfully) reflect inner discipline.