Shloka 19
Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa
प्रतिकर्तु न शक्ता ये बलस्थायापकारिणे । असूया जायते तीव्रा कारुण्याद् विनिवर्तते,जो लोग अपनी बुराई करनेवाले बलवान मनुष्यसे बदला लेनेमें असमर्थ होते हैं, उनके हृदयमें तीव्र असूया (दोषदर्शनकी प्रवृत्ति) पैदा होती है, परंतु दयाका भाव जाग्रत् होनेसे उसकी निवृत्ति हो जाती है
pratikartuṁ na śaktā ye balasthāyāpakāriṇe | asūyā jāyate tīvrā kāruṇyād vinivartate ||
Bhishma said: Those who are unable to retaliate against a powerful wrongdoer develop intense asūyā—fault-finding, resentful envy—within their hearts. Yet when compassion awakens, that bitterness subsides and turns away.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a person feels powerless to answer harm with retaliation, the mind often turns to asūyā—resentful fault-finding. Cultivating compassion (kāruṇya) dissolves that inner poison and restores ethical clarity.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhishma explains a common moral-psychological pattern: inability to punish a strong offender breeds bitterness, but compassion can neutralize it.