Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अजिह्दय॒मशठं मार्ग वर्तमानस्य भारत । सर्वदा सर्वभूतेषु ब्रह्माश्रमपदं भवेत्‌,भरतनन्दन! जो सदा समस्त प्राणियोंके प्रति माया और कुटिलतासे रहित यथार्थ व्यवहार करता है, उसे भी ब्रह्माश्रम सेवनका ही फल प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

ajihvam aśaṭhaṁ mārge vartamānasya bhārata | sarvadā sarvabhūteṣu brahmāśramapadaṁ bhavet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: Wahai Bhārata, bagi seseorang yang berjalan di jalan yang benar—yang tutur katanya tidak bercabang dan tingkah lakunya bebas daripada tipu daya—yang pada setiap masa berurusan dengan jujur dan tanpa helah terhadap semua makhluk, maka keadaan dan pahala yang berkaitan dengan Brahma-āśrama (kehidupan berdisiplin yang tertuju kepada Brahman) akan terbit dengan sendirinya.

Word by Word

अजिह्वम्free from deceitful speech / not double-tongued

अशठम्not crooked / not deceitful

मार्गम्path, way (conduct)

वर्तमानस्यof one who behaves / of one who follows (a course)

भारतO Bharata

सर्वदाalways

सर्वभूतेषुin/among all beings

ब्रह्माश्रमपदम्the state/fruit of brahma-āśrama (brahmacarya/ascetic discipline)

भवेत्would be / becomes

भरतनन्दनO delight of Bharata (O descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Bharata (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Brahmāśrama

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Straightforward speech and freedom from deceit—practiced consistently toward all beings—are themselves powerful dharmic disciplines that yield the merit and inner stature associated with the Brahma-āśrama.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war, emphasizing that ethical integrity in everyday dealings can confer the same spiritual fruit as formal āśrama observances.