Shloka 15
Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)
कृतकृत्यो वयो5तीतो राज्ञ: कृतपरिश्रम: । वैश्यो गच्छेदनुज्ञातो नृपेणाश्रमसंश्रयम्
kṛtakṛtyo vayotīto rājñaḥ kṛtaparishramaḥ | vaiśyo gacched anu-jñāto nṛpeṇāśramasaṃśrayam ||
Bhishma berkata: Apabila seorang Vaiśya telah menyempurnakan kewajipannya dan, setelah lanjut usia, menamatkan segala jerih payah yang dituntut oleh kedudukannya, maka—sesudah memperoleh izin raja—dia hendaklah berundur daripada urusan dunia dan berlindung pada suatu āśrama, mengambil cara hidup penghuni rimba (vānaprastha) yang sesuai bagi peralihannya daripada tanggungjawab rumah tangga.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
After properly completing one’s prescribed social duties (varṇa-dharma) and reaching old age, one should transition toward a disciplined, renunciatory life (āśrama), doing so in an orderly way that respects social governance—here, by seeking the king’s permission.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Śānti Parva, he outlines a normative life-course for a Vaiśya: having fulfilled household and occupational responsibilities, the person may withdraw from active worldly engagement and take up an āśrama-oriented life, with royal authorization.