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 ||
Disse Bhīṣma: Os deuses ordenaram três agentes de purificação para os brāhmaṇas: o invisível (adṛṣṭa), isto é, o mérito da conduta justa; a água, que purifica pela lavagem; e aquilo que é louvado e santificado pela fala — o poder purificador da palavra verdadeira, laudatória e sagrada.
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.