Shloka 16
ऋत्विग्धर्मः, दक्षिणा-न्यायः, तपसः परमार्थः
Ritvij-Dharma, the Norm of Dakṣiṇā, and the Higher Meaning of Tapas
शरीरवृत्तमास्थाय इत्येषा श्रूयते श्रुति: । नातिसम्यक् प्रणीतानि ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम्
śarīravṛttam āsthāya ityeṣā śrūyate śrutiḥ | nātisamyak praṇītāni brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām ||
भीष्म म्हणाले— श्रुतीत असे वचन ऐकू येते—‘शरीरनिर्वाहाचा आधार घेऊन…’। परंतु महात्म्या ब्राह्मणांनी घालून दिलेले विधिनियम केवळ शब्दशः किंवा अपुऱ्या समजुतीने पाळू नयेत; त्यांचा खरा आशय समजून घ्यावा, जेणेकरून देहपालन हे धर्मच्युत होण्याचे कारण ठरू नये.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Scriptural and Brahmanical prescriptions about sustaining one’s life (śarīravṛtta) must be understood in their intended ethical spirit; bodily maintenance should not be used as a pretext to dilute or misapply dharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he invokes a Śruti statement and cautions about how rules and teachings—especially those concerning livelihood and conduct—can be misunderstood if followed without discerning their proper intent.