Shloka 12
अध्याय २२० — बलिवासवसंवादः
Bali–Vāsava Dialogue on Kāla and Steadfastness
अवैरकृत् सूपचार: समो निन्दाप्रशंसयो: । सुवृत्त: शीलसम्पन्न: प्रसन्नात्मा55त्मवान् प्रभु:
avairakṛt sūpacāraḥ samo nindāpraśaṃsayoḥ | suvṛttaḥ śīlasampannaḥ prasannātmā ātmavān prabhuḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “He bears no enmity and behaves with refined courtesy. He remains even-minded amid blame and praise. His conduct is good, his character well-formed; his inner self is serene. Self-possessed and masterful, he stands firm in virtue.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines an ideal ethical person: one who does not generate hostility, treats others with courteous conduct, remains steady in praise and blame, and is inwardly serene and self-mastered.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and right conduct; here he lists qualities that mark a virtuous, authoritative person fit to guide or lead through moral steadiness.