Shloka 12
Gautama’s Flight, the Enchanted Grove, and the Arrival of Rājadharma
Nāḍījaṅgha
दमो नान्यस्पृहा नित्य॑ गाम्भीर्य धैर्यमेव च । अभयं रोगशमनं ज्ञानेनैतदवाप्यते
bhīṣma uvāca | damo nānyaspṛhā nityaṁ gāmbhīryaṁ dhairyam eva ca | abhayaṁ rogaśamanaṁ jñānenaitad avāpyate ||
Bhishma dijo: El autocontrol (dama), dominio de la mente y de los sentidos, se reconoce por la ausencia constante de codicia por lo ajeno, por una firme profundidad de carácter y paciencia, por la intrepidez, y por el apaciguamiento de las dolencias interiores de la mente. Tal maestría se alcanza mediante el verdadero conocimiento (jñāna).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma defines dama (self-restraint) through concrete traits—non-covetousness, composure, patience, fearlessness, and the soothing of mental afflictions—and states that these are achieved through jñāna (true knowledge and discernment).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing the marks of self-control and explaining that wisdom is the means to attain it.