Shloka 17
कुण्डधारोपाख्यानम्
Kuṇḍadhāra-Upākhyāna: Dharma’s Superiority over Wealth and Desire
कि तस्य तपसा कार्य कि वृत्तेन किमात्मना । श्रद्धामयो<यं पुरुषो यो यच्छुद्ध: स एव सः
ki tasya tapasā kāryaṁ ki vṛttena kim ātmanā | śraddhāmayo 'yaṁ puruṣo yo yacchuddhaḥ sa eva saḥ ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Apa guna tapa baginya? Apa arti laku lahiriah, bahkan telaah diri, bila arah batin tidak berubah? Seseorang sesungguhnya tersusun dari śraddhā: sebagaimana mutu dan kemurnian śraddhā-nya, demikianlah ia menjadi.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
External disciplines—tapas (austerity), outwardly correct conduct, or even self-analysis—are secondary if they do not reshape one’s inner faith and orientation. A person’s character and moral quality are fundamentally determined by the nature and purity of his śraddhā (deep conviction/faith); as that is, so he becomes.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues his ethical teaching, emphasizing that inner conviction is the decisive factor behind spiritual and moral outcomes, more than mere external practices or appearances.