Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 57
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
आयुष्य॑ प्राड्मुखो भुड्क्ते यशस्यं दक्षिणामुख: । धन्य पश्चान्मुखो भुड्क्ते ऋतं भुड्क्ते उदडमुख:
āyuṣyaṁ prāṅmukho bhuṅkte yaśasyaṁ dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ | dhanyaṁ paścānmukho bhuṅkte ṛtaṁ bhuṅkte udāṅmukhaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Kapag nakaharap sa silangan, ang pagkain ay nagdudulot ng mahabang buhay; kapag nakaharap sa timog, nagdudulot ng dangal at katanyagan; kapag nakaharap sa kanluran, nagdudulot ng yaman at pagpapala; at kapag nakaharap sa hilaga, nagdudulot ng katotohanan. Kaya maging ang simpleng disiplina ng pagharap sa tamang direksiyon habang kumakain ay itinuturo bilang pagtalima sa dharma na umaayon sa mga pinahahalagahang layunin.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma links everyday discipline (the direction one faces while eating) with ethical and auspicious outcomes: east with longevity, south with fame, west with prosperity, and north with truth—showing how dharma is cultivated through habitual conduct.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct (ācāra). Here he gives a concise rule about facing particular directions while eating and the corresponding fruits traditionally associated with them.