Shloka 16
Gṛhastha-vṛtti and Niyama: Models of Householder Livelihood and Discipline (गृहस्थवृत्ति-नियमाः)
तिष्ठत्ये तेषु भगवान् षट्सु कर्मसु संस्थित: । व्यासजी कहते हैं--बेटा! ब्राह्मणको चाहिये कि वेदोंमें बतायी गयी त्रयी विद्या--“अ उ म्' इन तीन अक्षरोंसे सम्बन्ध रखनेवाली प्रणवविद्याका चिन्तन एवं विचार करे। वेदके छहों अंगोंसहित ऋक्
tiṣṭhaty ete teṣu bhagavān ṣaṭsu karmasu saṁsthitaḥ | dharmadvīpena bhūtānāṁ cārthakāmajalenaca | ṛtavāḍmokṣatīreṇa vihiṁsātaruvāhinā |
毗耶娑说：“至福之主——即达摩本身——安住于这六种职责之中。因此，婆罗门当观想神圣的普罗那瓦（A‑U‑M），并连同吠陀六支，谨守音与字，学习《梨俱》《娑摩》《夜柔》《阿闼婆》诸咒。因为主以达摩之身，坚立于这些吠陀的修持之中，也坚立于六行：行祭、为他人主祭、学习、教授、施与、受施。”随后他又将时间描绘为一条大河，载众生奔流：达摩是财与欲之水中的庇护之岛；真实之语与解脱是两岸；暴力之树随流漂荡，而造物主所造的一切众生被牵引向阎摩之界。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not abstract but ‘dwells’ in concrete disciplines: Vedic contemplation (especially the Pranava), accurate study of mantra and sound, and the six brāhmaṇa duties—sacrificing, officiating, studying, teaching, giving, and accepting gifts. These practices are presented as supports that keep one aligned with the divine principle of Dharma amid the destabilizing flow of Time, wealth, and desire.
Vyāsa instructs the listener (addressed as ‘son’ in the surrounding prose) on brāhmaṇa conduct and the religious-ethical foundations of society. He then expands the instruction with a vivid allegory: Time is a mighty river sweeping beings toward Yama’s realm; in that current, Dharma is an island of refuge, while truth and liberation mark the safe shores.