Shloka 68
Āśā-prabhava (आशाप्रभव) — On the Rise and Power of Hope/Expectation
Sumitra Itihāsa Begins
तत्तु कर्म तथा कुर्याद् येन श्लाघ्येत संसदि । शीलं समासेनैतत् ते कथितं कुरुसत्तम
tattu karma tathā kuryād yena ślāghyeta saṃsadi | śīlaṃ samāsenaitat te kathitaṃ kurusattama ||
Karena itu, lakukanlah perbuatan sedemikian rupa sehingga engkau dipuji di tengah sidang yang penuh. Wahai yang terbaik di antara para Kuru, secara ringkas inilah yang telah kukatakan kepadamu sebagai inti dari śīla (tata laku mulia).
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Act in such a way that your deeds are publicly commendable; this public praiseworthiness is presented as a concise marker of śīla—good character expressed through action.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a Kuru noble ("kurusattama"), summarizing an ethical instruction: the practical test of conduct is whether it would earn praise in an assembly, and he states this as the brief definition of śīla.