अध्याय २२० — बलिवासवसंवादः
Bali–Vāsava Dialogue on Kāla and Steadfastness
तेषां लिड्जानि वक्ष्यामि येषां समुदयो दम: । अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भ: संतोष: श्रद्दधानता
teṣāṁ liṅgāni vakṣyāmi yeṣāṁ samudayo damaḥ | akārpaṇyam asaṁrambhaḥ santoṣaḥ śraddadhānatā |
Bhīṣma dit : « Je décrirai les signes distinctifs de ceux chez qui la maîtrise de soi est la source et le fondement. Ce sont : l’absence d’avidité mesquine, l’absence d’agitation et d’élan irréfléchi, le contentement, et une foi stable. »
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma teaches that true self-restraint (dama) is not merely suppression but a generative root of virtues—generosity (akārpaṇya), calm non-reactivity (asaṁrambha), contentment (santoṣa), and sincere faith (śraddadhānatā).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma continues his ethical discourse by introducing a list of observable qualities that identify a person whose character is grounded in self-control.