Shloka 6
यज्ञेऽहिंसा-प्राधान्यम्
Primacy of Non-Harm in Sacrificial Ethics
तस्मात् प्रमाणत: कार्यों धर्म: सूक्ष्मो विजानता । अहिंसा सर्वभूते भ्यो धर्मेभ्यो ज्यायसी मता
tasmāt pramāṇataḥ kāryo dharmaḥ sūkṣmo vijānatā | ahiṁsā sarvabhūtebhyo dharmebhyo jyāyasī matā ||
Therefore, a discerning person who understands subtlety should determine the fine nature of dharma on the basis of authoritative proof (pramāṇa, especially Vedic testimony). Among all the duties prescribed with regard to every living being, non-violence is held to be the greatest.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma can be subtle and must be discerned through valid authority (pramāṇa), and among all duties relating to living beings, ahiṁsā (non-violence) is regarded as the highest.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira, emphasizing careful determination of dharma through authoritative sources and elevating non-violence as the supreme ethical principle.