Shloka 9
वाक्सम्भाषाप्रवृत्तं यत् तन्मन:परिवर्जितम् | बुद्धया चाध्यवसीयीत ब्रह्म॒चर्यमकल्मषम्
vāksambhāṣāpravṛttaṃ yat tan manaḥparivarjitam | buddhyā cādhyavasīyīta brahmacaryam akalmaṣam ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Jedes Verhalten, das nur durch Rede und Gespräch in Gang gesetzt wird, vom Geist jedoch wieder aufgegeben wird, soll mit klarem Verständnis fest beschlossen werden. Durch Einsicht soll man sich dazu bestimmen, makelloses Brahmacarya (Selbstzucht) zu bewahren.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True ethical discipline must be grounded in inner intention, not merely in outward speech. One should use discernment (buddhi) to make a firm resolve toward pure brahmacarya—self-restraint free from moral taint.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he emphasizes that vows and moral practices should not remain superficial or verbal; they must be inwardly accepted and firmly determined, especially regarding brahmacarya.