Śulka, Kanyā, and Dauhitra-Riktha: Discourse on Bride-Price and Inheritance Rights (शुल्क-कन्या-दौहित्र-रिक्थविचारः)
तत्रैकस्तूर्णमगमत् तत्पदे च विवर्तयन् । एकस्तु न तदा राजंश्वक्रतु: कलहं तत:,राजन! उनमेंसे एकने अपनी चाल तेज कर दी और दूसरेने वैसा नहीं किया। इसपर दोनों आपसमें झगड़ने लगे
tatraikaḥ tūrṇam agamat tatpade ca vivartayan | ekas tu na tadā rājan śvakratuḥ kalahaṃ tataḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “There, one of them hastened forward, even altering his step at that very point; but the other did not do so then, O King. From that difference in pace and intent, a quarrel arose between them.”
भीष्म उवाच
A small lapse in coordination—one acting hastily while another does not—can ignite conflict; restraint and attentiveness to shared norms help prevent quarrels.
Bhīṣma describes a situation where two individuals move differently: one speeds up and changes his step, the other does not; this mismatch becomes the immediate cause of their dispute.