Shloka 13
श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः
Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma
लीलयाल्पं यथा गात्रात् प्रमूज्यादात्मनो रज: । बहुयत्नेन महता दोषनिर्हरणं तथा
bhīṣma uvāca | līlayālpaṃ yathā gātrāt pramūjyād ātmano rajaḥ | bahuyatnena mahatā doṣanirharaṇaṃ tathā ||
Bhīṣma dit : «De même qu’un homme, d’un geste aisé, presque en jouant, chasse de son corps un peu de poussière, ainsi peut-il aussi écarter les fautes intérieures—telles que l’attachement et l’aversion—par un effort sincère et persévérant, répété au fil du temps.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Small external impurities are removed easily, but deeper inner faults (doṣas) require sustained, repeated, and serious effort; ethical purification is a disciplined practice, not a one-time act.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising on righteous living and self-mastery, using a simple bodily metaphor—brushing off dust—to illustrate the gradual removal of mental and moral impurities through persistent practice.