Shloka 263
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
न च कायेन कृतवान् स पापं परमण्वपि । धर्मपूर्वक राज्यका शासन करते हुए उन शत्रुघाती नरेशने न तो कभी असत्य भाषण किया और न कभी उनका मन ही बुरे विचारोंसे दूषित हुआ। अपने शरीरके द्वारा उन्होंने कभी छोटे-से-छोटा पाप भी नहीं किया था
na ca kāyena kṛtavān sa pāpaṃ paramaṇv api |
Bhīṣma said: That enemy-slaying king, ruling in accordance with dharma, never spoke falsehood, nor was his mind ever tainted by ignoble thoughts. Even by bodily action he committed not the slightest sin—not even an atom of wrongdoing.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds a threefold ethic of purity—of body (kāya), speech (vāk), and mind (manas). A truly dharmic ruler is portrayed as one who avoids even the tiniest bodily wrongdoing, does not speak falsehood, and keeps the mind free from corrupt intentions.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is describing the exemplary character of a king: a ruler who governs according to dharma and is so disciplined that he commits no sin even in the smallest measure, while also remaining truthful and mentally untainted.