Shloka 23
राज्ञोऽभिषेकः, अराजकदोषः, दण्डधारणस्य आवश्यकता
Royal Consecration, the Fault of Kinglessness, and the Necessity of Enforcement
ज्येष्ठानुज्येष्ठपत्नीनां भ्रातृणां पुत्रनप्तृणाम् । निग्रहानुग्रहौ पार्थ गाहस्थ्यमिति तत् तप:
jyeṣṭhānujyeṣṭhapatnīnāṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ putranaptṝṇām | nigrahānugrahau pārtha gārhasthyam iti tat tapaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，帕尔塔啊，居家之行的纪律，在于知晓何时当约束、何时当施恩——对长者与幼者，对长辈之妻与年少亲族，对兄弟、儿子与孙子亦复如是。以此平衡之道治理家族，本身就是苦行（tapas）。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Householder dharma is not merely ritual or earning a livelihood; it is the disciplined art of applying restraint (nigraha) and kindness/support (anugraha) appropriately within the family. This balanced moral governance is itself tapas (austerity).
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira’s side (addressing Arjuna here as ‘Pārtha’) on dharma after the war. This verse highlights domestic ethics: how one should regulate and nurture relationships with elders, younger relatives, brothers, children, and grandchildren.