Shloka 19
Brāhmaṇa-kṛtya, Āśrama-niyama, and Dāna-prasaṃsā
Duties of the Brāhmaṇa, āśrama discipline, and praise of giving
प्राज्लस्थ कर्माणि दुरन्वयानि न वै प्राज्ञो मुह्ति मोहकाले । स्थानाच्च्युतश्नेन्न मुमोह गौतम- स्तावत् कृच्छामापदं प्राप्य वृद्धः
prājñastha-karmāṇi duranvayāni na vai prājño muhyati moha-kāle | sthānāc cyutaś cennamumoha gautamas tāvat kṛcchrām āpadaṁ prāpya vṛddhaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Les actes et les voies des véritables sages sont difficiles à suivre, voire à comprendre, pour les gens ordinaires. Le sage ne perd pas sa clarté même lorsque l’illusion trouve une ouverture. Ainsi le rishi Gautama, bien qu’âgé, ne tomba pas dans la confusion, même après avoir été déchu de sa position et frappé par une calamité accablante.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True wisdom shows itself as steadiness of mind: even when circumstances invite confusion—loss of status, suffering, crisis—the discerning person does not succumb to moha (delusion). The conduct of the wise may appear difficult for common people to grasp, because it is guided by inner clarity rather than external upheaval.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhīṣma illustrates a principle with an example: the sage Gautama, though aged and facing a harsh misfortune and displacement, remained undeluded—serving as a model of composure and ethical clarity under pressure.