Shloka 34
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
एक एव दमे दोषो द्वितीयो नोपपद्यते । यदेनं क्षमया युक्तमशक्तं मन््यते जन:,दम अर्थात् संयममें एक ही दोष है, दूसरा नहीं। वह यह कि क्षमाशील होनेके कारण उसे लोग असमर्थ समझने लगते हैं
eka eva dame doṣo dvitīyo nopapadyate | yad enaṃ kṣamayā yuktam aśaktaṃ manyate janaḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „In der Selbstzucht (dama) gibt es nur einen möglichen Makel; ein zweiter tritt nicht auf. Dieser Makel ist: Wenn einer mit Nachsicht und Duldsamkeit (kṣamā) verbunden ist, halten ihn die Leute für machtlos.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that self-restraint (dama) is intrinsically virtuous, yet it carries a practical risk: when restraint is expressed as forbearance (kṣamā), society may misread it as incapacity. The wise must therefore maintain inner restraint without letting it be mistaken for helplessness.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on ethical conduct and governance. Here he reflects on the social consequences of virtues like restraint and forgiveness, warning that public perception can misinterpret them.