Shloka 58
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
जो मनुष्य पूर्व दिशाकी ओर मुँह करके भोजन करता है, उसे दीर्घायु, जो दक्षिणकी ओर मुँह करके भोजन करता है उसे यश, जो पश्चिमकी ओर मुख करके भोजन करता है उसे धन और जो उत्तराभिमुख होकर भोजन करता है उसे सत्यकी प्राप्ति होती है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | yaḥ purvadig-abhimukhaḥ kṛtvā bhuṅkte sa dīrghāyur bhavati; yaḥ dakṣiṇābhimukhaḥ kṛtvā bhuṅkte sa yaśasvī bhavati; yaḥ paścimābhimukhaḥ kṛtvā bhuṅkte sa dhanaṃ prāpnoti; yaś cottarābhimukhaḥ kṛtvā bhuṅkte sa satyaṃ prāpnoti || agnim ālabhya toyena sarvān prāṇān upaspṛśet | gātrāṇi caiva sarvāṇi nābhiṃ pāṇitale tathā ||
Disse Bhishma: Quem come voltado para o leste alcança longa vida; voltado para o sul alcança fama; voltado para o oeste alcança riqueza; e voltado para o norte alcança a verdade. Tendo tocado o fogo, deve então, com água, tocar ritualmente (purificar) todas as forças vitais e o corpo inteiro—bem como o umbigo e as palmas das mãos—observando a disciplina apropriada ligada à alimentação e à pureza.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma links everyday conduct to ethical and auspicious outcomes: the direction one faces while eating is presented as shaping life-goals (longevity, fame, wealth, truth), and he emphasizes ritual purity—touching fire and then water to purify the body and vital functions—before or around the act of eating.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma and proper conduct, Bhishma continues advising on household discipline and purity practices, giving prescriptive rules about mealtime orientation and a brief procedure of ritual touching (fire, then water) as part of regulated daily life.