Shloka 9
कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve
पार्श्वत: करणं प्राज्ञो विष्टम्भित्वा प्रकारयेत् । जनस्तच्चरितं धर्म विजानात्यन्यथान्यथा
pārśvataḥ karaṇaṃ prājño viṣṭambhitvā prakārayet | janas tac-caritaṃ dharmaṃ vijānāty anyathānyathā ||
Dijo Bhishma: El sabio debe iniciar su empresa con discreción, sosteniéndola y resguardándola desde un lado, y sólo después hacerla pública. De lo contrario, la gente interpreta de muchas maneras—y a menudo erróneas—el dharma encarnado en su conducta.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Act with discretion: first secure and stabilize your undertaking privately, then disclose it. Premature publicity invites misinterpretation of your intentions and the dharma reflected in your actions.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues giving practical guidance on righteous conduct and governance, warning that public opinion can distort the meaning of one’s dharmic actions if they are announced before being firmly established.