Shloka 11
पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
पितुराज्ञा परो धर्म: स्वधर्मो मातृ्रक्षणम् । अस्वतन्त्रं च पुत्रत्वं कि तु मां नानुपीडयेत्
bhīṣma uvāca | piturājñā paro dharmaḥ svadharmo mātṛrakṣaṇam | asvatantraṃ ca putratvaṃ kiṃ tu māṃ nānupīḍayet ||
Ia berkata: “Ketaatan pada perintah ayah adalah dharma tertinggi, dan melindungi ibu adalah kewajiban utama seorang putra. Menjadi putra bukanlah keadaan yang merdeka; ia senantiasa berada di bawah kuasa orang tuanya. Lalu apa yang harus kulakukan agar aku tidak tersiksa oleh pedihnya menyimpang dari dharma?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse prioritizes filial dharma: a son’s highest righteousness lies in obeying the father’s command and protecting the mother, emphasizing that sonship entails dependence and responsibility rather than personal autonomy.
Bhishma articulates an ethical conflict: he recognizes binding duties toward both parents and asks how to act so that he does not suffer the anguish of violating dharma—framing a decision-point where competing obligations must be reconciled.