Shloka 8
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
दमात् तस्य क्रियासिद्धिर्यथावदुपलभ्यते । दमो दानं तथा यज्ञानधीतं चातिवर्तते,दमसे ही उसे अपने शुभ कर्मोकी यथावत् सिद्धि प्राप्त होती है। दम उसके लिये दान, यज्ञ और स्वाध्यायसे भी बढ़कर है
damāt tasya kriyāsiddhir yathāvad upalabhyate | damo dānaṃ tathā yajñān adhītaṃ cātivartate |
Bhishma said: Through self-restraint, a person truly attains the proper fulfillment of righteous actions. Indeed, self-control surpasses charity, sacrifice, and even sacred study, for it is the inner discipline that makes all virtuous practice effective and complete.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Self-control (dama) is presented as the decisive inner virtue: it enables the proper success of good actions and is even greater than external religious merits like charity, sacrifice, and scriptural study, because it governs intention and conduct.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by ranking virtues and emphasizing that inner restraint is the foundation that makes all other religious practices truly fruitful.