Shloka 24
Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas
Kekaya Exemplum
(शुक्लकर्मास्मि सर्वत्र न दुर्गतिभयं मम । धर्मचारी गृहस्थश्न॒ मामकान्तरमाविश: ।।) आत्मविज्ञानसम्पन्नस्तपस्वी सर्वधर्मवित् | स्वामी सर्वस्य राष्ट्रस्य धीमान् मम पुरोहित:,मैं सब जगह निर्दोष एवं विशुद्ध कर्म करनेवाला हूँ, मुझे कहीं भी दुर्गतिका भय नहीं है। मैं धर्मका आचरण करनेवाला गृहस्थ हूँ। तुम मेरे शरीरके भीतर कैसे आ गये? मेरे बुद्धिमान् पुरोहित आत्मज्ञानी, तपस्वी तथा सब धर्मोके ज्ञाता हैं। वे सम्पूर्ण राष्ट्रके स्वामी हैं
bhīṣma uvāca |
śukla-karmāsmi sarvatra na durgati-bhayaṁ mama |
dharmacārī gṛhasthaś ca māmakāntaram āviśaḥ ||
ātma-vijñāna-sampannas tapasyī sarva-dharma-vit |
svāmī sarvasya rāṣṭrasya dhīmān mama purohitaḥ ||
भीष्म उवाच—अहं सर्वत्र शुक्लकर्मा निर्दोषश्च; दुर्गतिभयं मम नास्ति। धर्मचारी गृहस्थोऽहं; कथं त्वं मम अन्तरं प्रविष्टवान्? मम पुरोहितो धीमान् आत्मविज्ञानसम्पन्नस्तपस्वी सर्वधर्मवित्; स एव राष्ट्रस्य सर्वस्य मार्गदर्शक इव स्वामी।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous, ‘pure’ action (śukla-karma) and faithful performance of one’s dharma—especially gṛhastha-dharma—remove the fear of moral and posthumous downfall (durgati). The verse also elevates self-knowledge and dharma-competence as the basis of true authority and guidance, embodied in the ideal purohita.
Bhishma speaks in a tone of moral self-assurance, declaring his purity of conduct and lack of fear of ‘durgati.’ He questions how an intruding presence could have entered his inner being, and then points to his own wise priest—endowed with self-knowledge, austerity, and mastery of dharma—as the rightful guiding authority for the realm.