Shloka 9
Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)
दुराचारस्तु दुर्बुद्धिरिड्वितैलक्षितो मया । निष्कृपो दारुणाकारो दुष्टो दस्युरिवाधम:
durācārastu durbuddhir iḍvitailakṣito mayā | niṣkṛpo dāruṇākāro duṣṭo dasyur ivādhamaḥ ||
Dari tingkah lakunya aku mengenalinya: ia berakal bengkok dan berperilaku bejat, tanpa belas kasih. Bahkan rupanya pun keras dan mengerikan—hina dan jahat, laksana perampok, yang paling rendah di antara manusia.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s inner nature is reliably inferred from conduct and compassion: persistent immoral behavior, cruelty, and harshness signal adharma and a degraded character, warranting moral caution.
Bhīṣma is describing someone he has observed and judged based on outward behavior and demeanor, concluding that the person is cruel, wicked, and socially dangerous—comparable to a lawless bandit.