Shloka 118
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
कृपणानां तु रुदतां कृतमश्रुप्रमार्जनम् । पश्य चाल्पेन कालेन निश्चयान्वेषणेन च
kṛpaṇānāṁ tu rudatāṁ kṛtam aśrupramārjanam | paśya cālpena kālena niścayānveṣaṇena ca ||
Bhishma berkata: “Air mata orang-orang tak berdaya yang menangis telah diseka. Dan itu terjadi dalam waktu yang singkat—melalui keteguhan tekad serta pencarian dan upaya yang dilakukan dengan sengaja. Kelegaan demikian adalah buah dari pencarian yang teguh dan tindakan yang terarah, dengan dukungan pertemuan yang ditata oleh takdir.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Suffering is not ended by lamentation alone; it is alleviated when steadfast resolve is joined with active inquiry and effort. Relief may come quickly when determination is translated into purposeful action, sometimes supported by favorable providential circumstances.
Bhīṣma points to a situation where people who were weeping in helplessness soon found their tears ‘wiped away’—i.e., their distress was relieved—because of a firm decision and a sustained search/initiative that produced results (with a fortunate conjunction of circumstances).