Shloka 4
राज्ञो वृत्त-गुण-संग्रहः (Conduct and the Thirty-Six Virtues of a King) / The King’s Code of Conduct
प्रियं ब्रयादकृपण: शूर: स्यादविकत्थन: । दाता नापात्रवर्षी स्यात् प्रगल्भ: स्यादनिष्ठर:
priyaṃ brūyād akṛpaṇaḥ śūraḥ syād avikatthanaḥ | dātā nāpātravārṣī syāt pragalbhaḥ syād aniṣṭhuraḥ ||
Bhishma bersabda: “Hendaklah ia mengucapkan kata-kata yang menyenangkan dan bebas dari kekikiran. Hendaklah ia berani namun tidak membual. Hendaklah ia dermawan, tetapi tidak menumpahkan pemberian kepada yang tak layak. Hendaklah ia sigap dan cakap dalam tindakan, namun jangan pernah menjadi keras dan kejam.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma lists balanced virtues: kind speech without stinginess, courage without boasting, generosity guided by discernment (not wasted on the unworthy), and confident strength without harshness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war, offering practical standards of character and conduct expected of a righteous person and ruler.