Shloka 21
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
न वोञस्त्यस्मिन् सुते स्नेहो बाले मधुरभाषिणि | यस्य भाषितमात्रेण प्रसादमधिगच्छत
na voñasty asmin sute sneho bāle madhurabhāṣiṇi | yasya bhāṣitamātreṇa prasādam adhigacchata ||
Bhishma dit : «N’avez-vous donc plus aucune affection pour ce fils — ce petit enfant à la parole douce ? C’est pourtant celui dont les mots seuls vous apportaient jadis une joie paisible et une grâce au cœur.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma appeals to natural affection and moral responsibility: tenderness toward the innocent—especially one’s own child—should not be eclipsed by anger, politics, or harsh judgment; gentle speech and the joy it brings are reminders of one’s duty to protect rather than reject.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma addresses his listener(s) and reproaches them for seeming lack of affection toward a sweet-speaking child, recalling how the child’s mere words once brought them happiness and calm.