Shloka 29
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
यथा पत्याश्रयो धर्म: स्त्रीणां लोके सनातन: । सदैव सा गतिर्नान्या तथास्माकं द्विजातय:
yathā patyāśrayo dharmaḥ strīṇāṃ loke sanātanaḥ | sadaiva sā gatir nānyā tathāsmākaṃ dvijātayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Assim como, neste mundo, o dever intemporal das mulheres se apoia no marido como seu amparo—do mesmo modo, para nós, os dvija (os ‘nascidos duas vezes’) são sempre refúgio. Para nós não há outro abrigo além deles.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma frames dharma in terms of recognized sources of support: as a wife’s duty is traditionally described as resting on her husband as refuge, so the community should regard the twice-born—especially brāhmaṇas—as its guiding shelter, implying reliance on their counsel, ritual authority, and moral instruction.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising on norms of conduct and social-religious order, emphasizing the role of the twice-born (notably brāhmaṇas) as a primary support for society and for the speaker’s community.