Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 49
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
न भग्ने नावशीर्णे च शयने प्रस्वपीत च । नान्तर्थाने न संयुक्ते न च तिर्यक् कदाचन
na bhagne nāvaśīrṇe ca śayane prasvapīta ca | nāntarthāne na saṃyukte na ca tiryak kadācana ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Huwag matulog sa higaan na sira o maluwag. Huwag humiga upang matulog sa higaang nasa dilim nang hindi muna sinusuri sa pamamagitan ng pagdadala ng ilaw. Huwag matulog na may kasamang iba sa iisang higaan. Gayundin, huwag matulog na nakahiga nang pahilis; laging humiga nang tuwid.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma includes careful, disciplined daily conduct: avoid unsafe or improper sleeping arrangements (broken bed, darkness without checking, sharing a bed), and maintain orderly posture—habits that protect safety, modesty, and self-control.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on codes of right conduct (ācāra). Here he gives practical household guidance about how and where one should sleep, presenting everyday prudence as a moral duty.