Shloka 26
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
त्वया कृतेयं मर्यादा लोकसंरक्षणार्थिना । स्थापना वै सुमहती त्वया देव प्रवर्तिता
tvayā kṛteyaṃ maryādā lokasaṃrakṣaṇārthinā | sthāpanā vai sumahatī tvayā deva pravartitā ||
Bhīṣma dit : «C’est toi—désireux de protéger tous les mondes—qui as établi cette limite du dharma. Ô Divin, c’est toi-même qui as fondé cette grande ordonnance et l’as mise en mouvement, afin que le monde fût préservé.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not arbitrary: it is a divinely instituted moral boundary (maryādā) meant to protect society and sustain the order of the worlds. Ethical norms function as safeguards, not mere restrictions.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he addresses the Divine as the source of dharma’s authoritative limits, praising the Lord for establishing and activating a great moral ordinance for the protection of all beings.