Shloka 55
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
देवता ब्राह्मणा: सन््तो यक्षा मानुषचारणा: । धार्मिकान् पूजयन्तीह न धनाढ्यान् न कामिन:
devatā brāhmaṇāḥ santaḥ yakṣā mānuṣa-cāraṇāḥ | dhārmikān pūjayantīha na dhanāḍhyān na kāminaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“天神、婆罗门、真圣贤、夜叉、人类与查罗那（Charana）——此世间众生皆敬礼持法之人；并不崇拜徒有财富者，也不崇拜为欲所驱者。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True honor in society—among divine beings, sages, and humans alike—naturally goes to those grounded in dharma. Wealth and sensual indulgence, by themselves, do not merit reverence; ethical character does.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues a didactic sequence on values and conduct, emphasizing that social and cosmic approval aligns with righteousness rather than with mere prosperity or pleasure.