धर्मराजो हि शुद्धात्मा निदेशे स्थास्यते तव । आनृशंस्यपरं होनं जानामि गुरुवत्सलम्
dharmarājo hi śuddhātmā nideśe sthāsyate tava | ānṛśaṁsyaparaṁ hīnaṁ jānāmi guruvatsalam ||
Bhishma berkata: “Dharmaraja Yudhishthira berhati suci; ia akan tetap patuh pada titahmu. Aku mengenalnya: ia menempatkan welas asih di atas segalanya, bebas dari kekejaman, dan sangat berbakti kepada para guru serta para sesepuh.”
भीष्म उवाच
Moral authority in leadership rests on inner purity, compassion, and reverence for teachers and elders; such a person naturally abides by rightful instruction rather than acting from harshness or ego.
Bhīṣma is describing Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja) to reassure the listener about his dependable nature: he is pure-hearted, will follow guidance, is fundamentally compassionate, and remains devoted to gurus and elders.