Shloka 9
Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)
ततो<हं न करोम्येनं व्यवसायं क्रियां प्रति । धर्म: सदैव संदिग्ध: प्रतिभाति हि मे त्वयम्
tato 'haṁ na karomy enaṁ vyavasāyaṁ kriyāṁ prati | dharmaḥ sadaiva sandigdhaḥ pratibhāti hi me tvayā ||
Drupada berkata: “Karena itu aku tidak akan mengambil tekad ini, dan tidak akan melangkah pada jalan tindakan ini. Oleh ucapanmu, kebajikan (dharma) dari perbuatan ini selalu tampak meragukan bagiku; aku tak sanggup menjalankan suatu laku yang terasa berlawanan dengan dharma.”
दुपद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when an action seems expedient, it should not be undertaken if its alignment with dharma remains doubtful; moral uncertainty is presented as sufficient reason to refrain.
Drupada responds to another speaker’s proposal or reasoning and declines to proceed, stating that the act appears contrary to dharma and that he continues to doubt its righteousness.