Shloka 16
Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)
तस्मादापत्स्वधर्मोडपि श्रूयते धर्मलक्षण: । अधर्मो जायते तस्मिन्निति वै कवयो विदु:
tasmād āpatsu dharmo 'pi śrūyate dharmalakṣaṇaḥ | adharmo jāyate tasminn iti vai kavayo viduḥ ||
قال بهيشما: «لذلك، في أزمنة الكارثة قد يُتداول حتى adharma على أنه ذو سمات الدharma. غير أن الحكماء يعلمون يقينًا: إذا فُعل ما يخالف الدharma—ولو تحت وطأة الضيق—فإن adharma يتولّد حقًّا. قد تُربك الضرورة الأسماء، لكن العاقبة الأخلاقية باقية؛ فالشدة لا تُقدّس الخطأ تلقائيًا.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even if emergency conduct is sometimes described as ‘dharma-like,’ the wise maintain that acting against dharma still generates adharma; distress may explain actions but does not erase their ethical nature or consequences.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about moral decision-making under crisis (āpaddharma), warning that necessity can lead people to justify questionable acts, yet wrongdoing remains wrongdoing.