Shloka 22
Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa
एतान्येव जितान्याहु: प्रशमाच्च त्रयोदश । एते हि धार्तराष्ट्राणां सर्वे दोषास्त्रयोदश
etāny eva jitāny āhuḥ praśamāc ca trayodaśa | ete hi dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ sarve doṣās trayodaśa ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ces treize-là mêmes, dit-on, sont vaincus par la maîtrise de soi et l’apaisement intérieur. Car ce sont les treize fautes que l’on trouvait chez les fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra. En choisissant la vérité et en tenant compagnie aux nobles, on triomphe de tels défauts par la discipline de la paix.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that inner calm and disciplined self-restraint (praśama) is the means to conquer a set of thirteen moral faults; ethical victory is achieved not by force but by pacifying the mind and restraining impulses.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhishma continues his counsel on governance and personal conduct, pointing to the Kauravas as an example of people in whom these faults were present, and emphasizing that one should overcome such defects through peace and the guidance of the virtuous.