Shloka 20
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
सान्त्वयोगमतिः: प्राज्ञ: कार्याकार्यप्रयोजक: । निगूढबुद्धेर्धीरस्य वक्तव्ये वा कृतं तथा
sāntvayogamatiḥ prājñaḥ kāryākāryaprayojakaḥ | nigūḍhabuddher dhīrasya vaktavye vā kṛtaṃ tathā ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Un roi doit avoir l’esprit formé à la conciliation et au raisonnement habile, capable d’accomplir ce qui doit être fait et de retenir ce qui ne doit pas l’être. Qu’il soit sage, poussant les hommes vers le devoir et les retenant du mal. Mais quant à l’homme ferme, à l’intelligence profonde et gardée—maître de lui-même—quel besoin y a-t-il de l’instruire ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should combine gentle persuasion with practical discernment: promote rightful action (kārya), prevent wrongful action (akārya), and guide others toward dharma. Yet a truly steady and deep-minded person needs little external instruction, because inner clarity already governs conduct.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he emphasizes the king’s role as a moral and practical guide—using conciliation and reason—while noting that the genuinely wise and self-possessed are already guided by their own understanding.