Shloka 13
उपवासविधि-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the Discipline of Fasting
न ज्येष्ठटो वावमन्येत दुष्कृत: सुकृतोडपि वा । यदि स्त्री यद्यवरज: श्रेयश्लेत् तत् तदाचरेत्
na jyeṣṭhaṭo vāvamanyeta duṣkṛtaḥ sukṛto 'pi vā | yadi strī yadyavarajaḥ śreyaḥ ślet tat tad ācaret |
毗湿摩说道：“不可仅因一人年长，纵使他曾作恶，便加以轻慢；也不可仅因一人行善，便据此轻慢他人。若真正有益之道出自妇人或出自年少者，当取其所长，依之而行。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not judge counsel by the speaker’s age, status, or gender. What matters is śreyas—true welfare. If the best course is taught by someone socially seen as ‘junior’ (a younger person) or by a woman, one should accept it and put it into practice.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma continues giving ethical guidance. Here he emphasizes impartial discernment: neither seniority nor reputation alone should determine acceptance or rejection; one should adopt whatever leads to genuine good conduct.