Shloka 50
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न चापि गच्छेत् कार्येण समयाद् वापि नास्तिकै: । आसन तु पदा55कृष्य न प्रसज्जेत् तथा नर:
na cāpi gacchet kāryeṇa samayād vāpi nāstikaiḥ | āsanaṁ tu padākṛṣya na prasajjet tathā naraḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Mesmo quando compelido por algum negócio, não se deve ir na companhia de incrédulos (nāstika); nem se deve viajar com eles, ainda que tenham feito um acordo ou jurado. E um homem não deve sentar-se num assento que tenha sido arrastado com o pé.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should guard one’s moral and spiritual integrity by avoiding close association—especially travel or partnership—with nāstikas, even when necessity or formal promises seem to justify it; and one should not indulge in disrespectful or degrading conduct (symbolized by sitting on a seat dragged by the foot).
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma and proper conduct, giving practical behavioral cautions: whom to associate with, when to refuse companionship, and how everyday gestures (like treating a seat disrespectfully) reflect inner discipline.