Shloka 23
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
ज्येष्ठानुज्येष्ठपत्नीनां भ्रातृणां पुत्रनप्तृणाम् । निग्रहानुग्रहौ पार्थ गाहस्थ्यमिति तत् तप:
jyeṣṭhānujyeṣṭhapatnīnāṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ putranaptṝṇām | nigrahānugrahau pārtha gārhasthyam iti tat tapaḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Ó Pārtha, a disciplina da vida doméstica consiste em saber quando conter e quando favorecer—para com os mais velhos e os mais novos, para com as esposas dos mais velhos e os parentes mais jovens, e para com irmãos, filhos e netos. Esse governo equilibrado da família é, por si só, uma austeridade (tapas).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Householder dharma is not merely ritual or earning a livelihood; it is the disciplined art of applying restraint (nigraha) and kindness/support (anugraha) appropriately within the family. This balanced moral governance is itself tapas (austerity).
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira’s side (addressing Arjuna here as ‘Pārtha’) on dharma after the war. This verse highlights domestic ethics: how one should regulate and nurture relationships with elders, younger relatives, brothers, children, and grandchildren.