Shloka 56
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
तस्यैश्वर्य च धैर्य च व्यवसायश्न कर्मसु । तात! जो बुद्धिमान मनुष्य सदा सात््विक वृत्तिका सहारा लिये रहता है। उसीको एऐश्वर्य और धैर्यकी प्राप्ति होती है तथा वही सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंमें उद्योगशील होता है
tasya aiśvaryaṃ ca dhairyaṃ ca vyavasāyaś ca karmasu | tāta, yo buddhimān manuṣyaḥ sadā sāttvika-vṛttikā-sahāraṃ līyate, tasyaiva aiśvarya-dhairya-prāptir bhavati, sa eva ca sarva-karmasu udyogaśīlaḥ | sarvaiḥ kratuśatair iṣṭaṃ na tvam ekaḥ śatakratuḥ ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Từ nếp sống sāttvika ấy phát sinh quyền uy và lòng can đảm bền bỉ, cùng ý chí kiên định trong hành động. Này con, chỉ người trí luôn nương tựa nơi hạnh sāttvika mới đạt được phú quý chân thật và sức chịu đựng; chỉ người ấy mới siêng năng trong mọi bổn phận. Đã có nhiều kẻ cử hành hàng trăm lễ tế; ngươi không phải là kẻ duy nhất mang danh ‘bậc trăm tế’.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma links lasting prosperity (aiśvarya), courage (dhairya), and effective resolve in work (vyavasāya) to a sustained sāttvika disposition—purity, balance, and clarity in conduct. He also cautions against pride in ritual achievement by noting that many have performed great sacrifices; virtue is measured by inner quality and steady effort, not by boastful comparison.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising the listener (addressed as ‘tāta’) on ethical foundations for life and rule. He emphasizes inner temperament as the source of strength and success, and he undercuts self-importance connected with sacrificial prestige by invoking the epithet ‘Śatakratu’ (Indra) and reminding that such feats are not unique.