Shloka 11
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
क्रूर स््वभाववाले पापी भी पृथक्-पृथक् सत्यकी शपथ खाकर ही आपसमें द्रोह या विवादसे बचे रहते हैं। इतना ही नहीं, वे सत्यका आश्रय लेकर सत्यकी ही दुहाई देकर अपने-अपने कर्मोमें प्रवृत्त होते हैं
krūra-svabhāvavāle pāpino 'pi pṛthak-pṛthak satyasya śapathaṃ kṛtvāiva parasparaṃ drohāt vā vivādāt vā rakṣyante. na kevalam; te satyam āśritya satyasyaiva duhāṃ dattvā sva-sva-karmasu pravartante.
Bhishma berkata: Bahkan para pendosa yang berhati kejam pun, masing-masing, menahan diri dari saling mengkhianati atau bertikai hanya setelah bersumpah atas nama kebenaran. Bukan itu saja—dengan berlindung pada kebenaran dan menjadikan kebenaran sebagai saksi, mereka menjalankan perbuatan mereka masing-masing.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truth (satya) functions as a regulating moral force: even people of sinful and cruel tendencies restrain treachery and disputes when bound by an oath to truth and when they invoke truth as a witness to their actions.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he highlights how social trust and restraint can arise from commitment to satya—showing that oaths and the public invocation of truth can curb conflict even among those otherwise inclined to wrongdoing.