Shloka 38
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
कर्मणा येन तेनैव मृदुना दारुणेन च । उद्धरेद् दीनमात्मानं समर्थो धर्ममाचरेत्,“मनुष्य कोमल या कठोर, जिस किसी भी उपायसे सम्भव हो, दीनदशासे अपना उद्धार करे। इसके बाद शक्तिशाली हो पुन: धर्मांचरण करे
karmaṇā yena tenaiva mṛdunā dāruṇena ca | uddhared dīnam ātmānaṃ samartho dharmam ācaret ||
Bhīṣma sprach: Durch jedes verfügbare Handeln—sei es sanft oder auch streng—soll man sich aus elender Lage emporheben. Hat man Kraft und Fähigkeit wiedergewonnen, so soll man danach das Dharma rechtmäßig ausüben.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When one has fallen into hardship, one may use whatever effective means are available—gentle or stern—to recover and become capable again; but once capable, one must return to the disciplined practice of dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira that escaping distress can require practical measures; the moral obligation is to re-establish righteous conduct after regaining strength.