Shloka 25
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
अकृष्टाश्वैव हंसाश्चन ऋषयो वाग्नियोनय: । वानप्रस्था: पृश्रयश्च स्थिता ब्रह्मानुशासने
bhīṣma uvāca |
akṛṣṭāś caiva haṃsāś ca ṛṣayo vāgnayonayaḥ |
vānaprasthāḥ pṛśrayāś ca sthitā brahmānuśāsane ||
毗湿摩说：“以不经耕种自生之谷为食者、‘恒娑’出家行者、火生之仙、林居的婆那婆罗萨他（vānaprastha）——并与诸‘普里什拉亚’苦行者同在——皆安住于梵天之法令之下，护持永恒之法。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents exemplary ascetic and forest-dwelling modes of life as legitimate expressions of dharma when they are aligned with Brahmā’s ordinance—i.e., with the cosmic and scriptural order—thereby emphasizing that true religious life is measured by conformity to dharma rather than by mere external austerity.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he lists categories of sages and renunciants—those living on uncultivated produce, ‘haṃsa’ ascetics, fire-born seers, and vānaprasthas—describing them as steadfast followers of the eternal dharma under Brahmā’s command.