Shloka 20
Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order
Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue
क्षात्राद् धर्माद् विपुलादप्रमेया- ल्लोकाः: प्राप्ता: स्थापितं स्व॑ं यशश्न । धर्मो योडसावादिदेवात् प्रवृत्तो लोकश्रेष्ठ तं न जानामि कर्तुम्,विशाल एवं अप्रमेय क्षात्रधर्मके प्रभावसे मैंने उत्तम लोक प्राप्त किये और सर्वत्र अपने यशका प्रचार एवं प्रसार कर दिया; परंतु आदिदेव भगवान् विष्णुसे जिस धर्मकी प्रवृत्ति हुई है, उस लोकश्रेष्ठ धर्मका आचरण करना मैं नहीं जानता
kṣātrād dharmād vipulād aprameyāl lokāḥ prāptāḥ sthāpitaṁ svaṁ yaśaś ca | dharmo yo ’sāv ādidevāt pravṛtto lokaśreṣṭha taṁ na jānāmi kartum ||
Bhishma dit : «Par le dharma vaste et incommensurable du kshatriya, j’ai atteint des mondes exaltés et j’ai établi ma renommée partout. Pourtant, le dharma qui procède de la Divinité Primordiale—Viṣṇu—le plus haut dharma pour le monde, je ne sais comment le mettre en pratique.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes between success gained through kshatriya-duty (valor, rule, battle) and the supreme dharma that originates from the highest divine source (Vishnu). He admits that worldly merit and fame do not automatically grant mastery of the highest spiritual-ethical path, emphasizing humility and the need to learn the deeper dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira about dharma. Here he reflects on his own life: despite attaining exalted results through the warrior code and spreading his renown, he confesses uncertainty about practicing the highest dharma rooted in the supreme deity, thereby framing the discussion as a search for deeper ethical and spiritual guidance.