Shloka 6
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
Devanagari script
कुट॒म्बिको धर्मकाम: सदास्वप्रश्चन मानव:
Transliteration
kuṭambiko dharmakāmaḥ sadāsvapraśca mānavaḥ
Translation
भीष्म उवाच—कुटुम्बी धर्मकामः सदा स्वप्रश्चनः मानवः। नित्यं संयतचित्तः स्यात् सावधानश्च कर्मसु॥
Word by Word
कुटम्बिकःhouseholder, family-man
कुटम्बिकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकुटम्बिक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्मकामःdesirous of dharma (righteousness)
धर्मकामः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootधर्मकाम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सदाalways
सदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा
स्वप्रश्चनःone who asks about/consults his own (people); self-inquiring
स्वप्रश्चनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वप्रश्चन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मानवःman, human
मानवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमानव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaK
kuṭambika (householder)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes that the gṛhastha (householder) life must be anchored in dharma and sustained by continual self-restraint; ethical living is not accidental but a daily discipline.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he characterizes the ideal householder as one who consistently chooses dharma and maintains self-control.