आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न संनिकृष्टे मेधावी नाशुचेर्न च सत्सु च | प्रतिषिद्धान् नधर्मेषु भक्ष्यान् भुज्जीत पृष्ठत:
na saṁnikṛṣṭe medhāvī nāśucer na ca satsu ca | pratiṣiddhān adharmyeṣu bhakṣyān bhuñjīta pṛṣṭhataḥ ||
Disse Bhishma: O homem sábio não deve tomar sua refeição sentado demasiado perto de uma pessoa impura, nem comer na presença dos virtuosos. Tampouco deve—mesmo às escondidas, de costas—comer alimentos proibidos pelos textos do dharma, próprios de uma conduta injusta.
भीष्म उवाच
Maintain ethical and ritual integrity in eating: avoid dining in improper company or settings, and never consume scripturally forbidden foods—even secretly—since dharma concerns both action and intention.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he lays down a rule of personal conduct regarding meals, emphasizing purity of association and strict avoidance of prohibited foods.