Shloka 7
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
दमं निः:श्रेयसं प्राहुर्वद्धा निश्चितदर्शिन: । ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषेण दमो धर्म: सनातन:
damaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ prāhur vṛddhā niścitadarśinaḥ | brāhmaṇasya viśeṣeṇa damo dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Bhishma dijo: «Los ancianos sabios, de visión firme, declaran que el autodominio es el medio para alcanzar el bien supremo. Y para un brahmán en particular, el autodominio mismo es el dharma eterno».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Self-restraint (dama)—the disciplined control of senses and mind—is taught by authoritative elders as the direct means to niḥśreyasa, the highest welfare. For Brahmins, whose vocation centers on learning, teaching, and spiritual discipline, dama is emphasized as their perennial, defining dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by citing the verdict of venerable, clear-sighted elders: the path to ultimate good is grounded in inner restraint, and this virtue is especially central to Brahminical life.