Shloka 53
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
ऋषयस्तं प्रशंसन्ति साधु चैतदसंशयम् । सर्वथा सर्वदा वर्णर्यष्टव्यमिति निर्णय:
ṛṣayas taṃ praśaṃsanti sādhu caitad asaṃśayam | sarvathā sarvadā varṇair yaṣṭavyam iti nirṇayaḥ ||
ଋଷିମାନେ ଏହାକୁ ପ୍ରଶଂସା କରନ୍ତି—ଏହା ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ଏଥିରେ ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ। ତେଣୁ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରକାରେ ଓ ସଦା, ସମସ୍ତ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣର ଲୋକମାନେ ଯଜ୍ଞ କରିବା ଉଚିତ—ଏହି ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରର ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ନିଷ୍କର୍ଷ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That yajña (sacrificial duty/ritual offering) is affirmed by the sages as unquestionably good, and that the śāstric conclusion is: all varṇas should consistently uphold this duty as part of dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and reinforces a normative rule: the tradition of yajña is praised by the rishis and is to be maintained universally and continually as a scripturally grounded practice.