Shloka 20
Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma
यश्षतुर्गुणसम्पन्नं धर्म ब्रूयात् स धर्मवित् । अहेरिव हि धर्मस्य पदं दुःखं गवेषितुम्
yaś caturguṇasampannaṃ dharmaṃ brūyāt sa dharmavit | aher iva hi dharmasya padaṃ duḥkhaṃ gaveṣitum ||
Bhīṣma dit : «N’est connaisseur du dharma que celui qui enseigne ce dharma pourvu de quatre qualités : prescrit par les Veda, approuvé par les Smṛti, pratiqué par les hommes de bien, et cher à son propre cœur. Car la véritable “empreinte” du dharma est difficile à découvrir, comme la trace d’un serpent.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is subtle and difficult to identify with certainty; therefore, a true dharma-knower is one who can teach dharma that meets reliable criteria (described as ‘fourfold excellence’), rather than relying on mere opinion.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on how to recognize and teach dharma, using the metaphor that dharma’s true trace is as hard to find as a serpent’s track.