Shloka 23
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
यस्तु शत्रोर्वशस्थस्य शक्तो5पि कुरुते दयाम् । हस्तप्राप्तस्य वीरस्य तं चैव पुरुषं विदु:,जो शक्तिशाली होकर भी अपने वशमें पड़े हुए अथवा हाथमें आये हुए वीर शत्रुपर दया करता है, उसे अच्छे लोग उत्तम पुरुष मानते हैं
yastu śatror vaśasthasya śakto 'pi kurute dayām | hastaprāptasya vīrasya taṃ caiva puruṣaṃ viduḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: Selbst wenn man die Macht hat zu strafen, gilt derjenige als wahrhaft edel, der einem Feind, der bereits unter seine Gewalt geraten ist—einem tapferen Gegner, der schon in seiner Hand liegt—Mitgefühl erweist; so erkennen es die Weisen.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True nobility is shown when one has the strength to harm but chooses compassion toward an enemy who is already subdued or captured; mercy in victory is presented as a higher ethical virtue than retaliation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira principles of kingship and moral strength, highlighting that sparing a defeated foe reflects superior character and dharmic restraint.