Shloka 12
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
यथोक्तमेतद् वचन प्रागेव मनुना पुरा । यन्मयोक्तं मनुष्येन्द्र ब्रह्मणो वचन महत्
bhīṣma uvāca | yathoktam etad vacanaṃ prāg eva manunā purā | yan mayoktaṃ manuṣyendra brahmaṇo vacanaṃ mahat ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara manusia, ucapan ini telah disampaikan Manu sejak lama. Apa yang kukatakan adalah sabda agung Brahmā. Karena Manu telah mengucapkannya lebih dahulu, ia dikenal pula sebagai ‘prāg-vacana’ (ucapan terdahulu). Dan karena menetapkan kaidah-kaidah vyavahāra—tata laku praktis serta tata cara peradilan—maka di sini ia disebut ‘Vyavahāra’.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma grounds his instruction in recognized authority: the same rule was taught earlier by Manu and ultimately reflects Brahmā’s great pronouncement. Because it guides practical dealings and adjudication, it is classified under vyavahāra—dharma as applied to real-world conduct and legal order.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira). Here he clarifies that his present teaching is not novel: it is an ancient doctrine already stated by Manu and traceable to Brahmā, thereby reinforcing its legitimacy for governance and social/legal practice.