Shloka 5
उपवासविधि-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the Discipline of Fasting
प्रत्यक्ष भिन्नहृदया भेदयेयु: कृतं नरा: । श्रियाभितप्ता: कौन्तेय भेदकामास्तथारय:
pratyakṣa-bhinnahṛdayā bhedayeyuḥ kṛtaṃ narāḥ | śriyābhitaptāḥ kaunteya bhedakāmās tathārayāḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Bila kakak sulung menjatuhkan hukuman atas pelanggaran secara terang-terangan, hati para adik akan terluka dan tercerai; lalu mereka menyebarkan kisah perlakuan keras itu di tengah orang banyak. Maka, melihat kemakmuran mereka, banyak musuh yang terbakar iri—wahai putra Kunti—akan mulai menginginkan dan berusaha menabur perpecahan di antara mereka.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Discipline should be administered with discretion: public, harsh punishment within a family can fracture hearts and invite outsiders—especially envious enemies—to exploit the resulting resentment and create lasting divisions.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and governance, he warns that when an elder brother punishes a younger brother openly, the younger may feel humiliated and publicize the grievance; this makes the family vulnerable to enemies who, jealous of their prosperity, seek to foment discord.