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 ||
毗湿摩说道：面向东方而食，得增寿之分；面向南方而食，得扬名之分；面向西方而食，得富足与福庆之分；面向北方而食，得真实之分。由此可知，即便是进食时的朝向之戒，亦被宣示为合乎法（dharma）的行持，使日常举止与所珍重的目标相应。
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.