Shloka 91
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 ||
मेधावी पुरुषः न संनिकृष्टेऽशुचेः समीपे, न च सत्सु पुरःस्थितेषु उपविश्य भोजनं कुर्यात्। धर्मशास्त्रैः प्रतिषिद्धान् अधर्मसम्बन्धान् भक्ष्यान् पृष्ठतः कृत्वा गुह्यतया अपि न भुञ्जीत्॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.