Shloka 6
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
कुरुनन्दन! धर्म और सत्पुरुषोंका आचार--ये बुद्धिसे ही प्रकट होते हैं और सदा उसीके द्वारा जाने जाते हैं। तुम मेरी इस बातको अच्छी तरह समझ लो ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
buddhiśreṣṭhā hi rājānaś caranti vijayaiṣiṇaḥ |
dharmaḥ pratividhātavyo buddhyā rājñā tatas tataḥ ||
Bhishma said: “O descendant of Kuru, dharma and the conduct of the virtuous arise from discernment and are always known through it. Grasp my words well. Kings who excel in intelligence and seek victory conduct themselves through dharma. Therefore a king must, again and again, shape and carry out dharma by means of sound judgment—learning from various sources—so that righteous conduct becomes practical governance.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma in kingship is not merely inherited custom; it must be understood and implemented through buddhi (discernment). A ruler seeking success should repeatedly apply intelligent judgment to enact righteous policy and conduct appropriate to each situation.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira after the war, emphasizing that effective and righteous rule depends on superior intelligence and continual situational application of dharma.