Shloka 23
आपद्धर्मे राज्ञः नीतिः — Bharadvāja’s Counsel on Crisis-Statecraft (Śānti Parva 138)
एतौ धर्मार्थशास्त्रेषु मोक्षशास्त्रेषु चर्षिभि: । प्रधानाविति निर्दिष्टी कामे चाभिमतौ नृणाम्
etau dharmārthaśāstreṣu mokṣaśāstreṣu carṣibhiḥ | pradhānāv iti nirdiṣṭī kāme cābhimatau nṛṇām ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Dans les traités sur le dharma et l’artha, et de même dans les enseignements sur la délivrance (mokṣa), les sages ont déclaré que ces deux-là sont les facteurs premiers. Même pour l’accomplissement des désirs humains, on tient ces deux moyens pour essentiels. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That successful action and right judgment depend chiefly on two contextual determinants—place and time (deśa and kāla). Sages treat them as primary across dharma, artha, and mokṣa teachings, and even for achieving ordinary desires.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on principles of conduct and governance, emphasizing that scriptural rules must be applied with sensitivity to circumstance—especially the appropriateness of place and time.