Shloka 20
दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint
Dama
इन्द्रियाणां रजस्येव प्रलयप्रभवावुभौ । परीक्ष्य संचरेद् विद्वान् यथावच्छास्त्रचक्षुषा
indriyāṇāṃ rajasy eva pralayaprabhavāv ubhau | parīkṣya saṃcared vidvān yathāvacchāstracakṣuṣā ||
Bhīṣma sagte: „Wie Staub an den Sinnen haftet, so begleiten auch Auflösung und erneutes Entstehen das verkörperte Leben. Darum soll der Weise alles sorgfältig prüfen und dann in der Welt mit angemessenem Verhalten wandeln, sehend mit dem ‚Auge‘ der Śāstras.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should not act impulsively under the ‘dust’ of sense-driven confusion. Recognizing the cycles of decline and renewal in life, the wise examine situations and then act in a manner consistent with dharma, using śāstra as a guiding lens.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous living after the war. Here he emphasizes disciplined conduct: careful examination (parīkṣā) and śāstra-informed judgment as the basis for ethical action amid the instability of worldly conditions.