Shloka 5
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
बुद्धिसंजननो धर्म आचारश्न सतां सदा । ज्ञेगयो भवति कौरव्य सदा तद् विद्धि मे वच:
buddhisañjanano dharma ācāraś ca satāṃ sadā | jñeyo bhavati kauravya sadā tad viddhi me vacaḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: „Dharma ist das, was den Geist erweckt und verfeinert, und zugleich ist es das beständige gute Verhalten der Tugendhaften. O Kauravya, wisse dies allezeit—das ist mein wohlbedachtes Wort.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma defines dharma in practical and ethical terms: it is what cultivates clear discernment (buddhi) and what is consistently practiced as good conduct (ācāra) by virtuous people. Dharma is thus recognized both by its inner effect (awakening wisdom) and its outward expression (noble behavior).
In the Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira seeks guidance after the war, and Bhishma—lying on his bed of arrows—teaches him about governance, ethics, and righteous living. Here Bhishma offers a concise criterion for identifying dharma: look to what ennobles understanding and to the steady conduct of the good.