Shloka 82
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
प्रथमं यः समाख्यात: शीलवानिति संसदि । न वाच्यं तस्य वैगुण्यं प्रतिज्ञां परिरक्षता,“पहले भरी सभामें शीलवान् कहकर जिसका परिचय दिया गया हो, प्रतिज्ञाकी रक्षा करनेवाले पुरुषको उसका दोष नहीं बताना चाहिये
prathamaṃ yaḥ samākhyātaḥ śīlavān iti saṃsadi | na vācyaṃ tasya vaiguṇyaṃ pratijñāṃ parirakṣatā |
Bhishma berkata: “Seseorang yang mula-mula diperkenalkan di sidang sebagai ‘berbudi baik’, maka orang yang hendak menjaga ikrarnya tidak patut mengungkit kekurangannya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should practice restraint in speech: if someone has been publicly presented as virtuous, it is improper to later publicize his defects. A person committed to keeping a vow should avoid fault-finding that contradicts or undermines prior honorable testimony.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma lays down a rule of ethical conduct for discourse in an assembly: maintain consistency and integrity in public speech, and do not damage another’s reputation after having introduced him as a man of good character.