Shloka 40
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
त्रीणि देवा: पवित्राणि ब्राह्णानामकल्पयन् । अदृष्टमद्धिर्निर्णिक्ते यच्च वाचा प्रशस्यते
trīṇi devāḥ pavitrāṇi brāhmaṇānām akalpayan | adṛṣṭam addhir nirṇikte yac ca vācā praśasyate ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Para dewa menetapkan tiga sarana penyucian bagi kaum Brāhmaṇa: yang tidak kelihatan (adṛṣṭa), yakni pahala kebajikan daripada perilaku benar; air yang menyucikan melalui basuhan; dan apa yang dipuji serta disucikan oleh ucapan—iaitu kuasa penyucian kata-kata yang benar, pujian, dan lafaz suci.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Purity is threefold: (1) inner, unseen merit born of dharma (adṛṣṭa), (2) external cleansing by water, and (3) sanctification through disciplined, praised speech—suggesting that ethical life requires both conduct and words, not merely ritual washing.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he states a normative rule: the gods established three purifying means for Brāhmaṇas, emphasizing the religious-ethical importance of merit and speech alongside physical purification.