Shloka 13
नृशंस-लक्षणनिर्णयः | Determining the Marks of Cruel Conduct
Nṛśaṃsa
तस्मात् क्षमेत बालाय जडान्धबधिराय च | बलाधिकाय राजेन्द्र तद् दृष्टं त्वयि शत्रुहन्
tasmāt kṣamet bālāya jaḍāndhabadhirāya ca | balādhikāya rājendra tad dṛṣṭaṃ tvayi śatruhan ||
لذلك، أيها الملك قاتل الأعداء، ينبغي أن تُمارَس الحِلمُ والمسامحة حتى مع الطفل، ومع الغليظ الفهم، ومع الأعمى، ومع الأصم، بل وحتى مع من هو أشد منك قوة. وإن خُلُق العفو هذا لَمَشهودٌ ساكنٌ فيك؛ فاعفُ كذلك عن تصرفاتهم المناوئة.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches kṣamā—deliberate forbearance. One should forgive even when wronged by those who lack full responsibility (a child, the dull, the blind, the deaf) or when retaliation is imprudent (someone stronger). Forgiveness is presented as a royal virtue and a mark of inner strength.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king on dharma after the war. Here he urges the ruler to cultivate and display forgiveness, noting that this forgiving disposition is already evident in the king’s character.