Shloka 9
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 |
भीष्म बोले—जिनमें दम ही मूल कारण और आधार है, उनके लक्षण मैं बताता हूँ: कृपणता का अभाव, उत्तेजना-रहित शान्त प्रवृत्ति, संतोष और श्रद्धायुक्त स्थिर भाव।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.