Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, 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 ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Ang taong marunong ay hindi dapat kumain na nakaupo nang napakalapit sa isang maruming tao, ni kumain sa harap ng mga banal at matutuwid. At hindi rin siya dapat—kahit palihim, nakatalikod—kumain ng mga pagkaing ipinagbabawal ng mga kasulatang dharma at kaugnay ng di-matuwid na gawi.
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.