Shloka 42
भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation
शमो5 दमस्तप: 3 शौच क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव" 5 च | ज्ञानं? विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं८ 5 ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम्
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca | jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam ||
Arjuna said: Serenity of mind, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forbearance, and straightforwardness; also knowledge, realized discernment, and faith in the sacred order—these are the natural duties that arise from one’s inborn disposition as a brāhmaṇa. In the midst of war, the verse frames dharma not as mere ritual, but as a disciplined inner character that steadies society and conscience.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines the brāhmaṇa’s dharma as a set of inner virtues—calm, restraint, austerity, purity, patience, honesty—supported by knowledge, realized discernment, and faith. It emphasizes that true duty is rooted in character and understanding, not merely external status.
In Bhīṣma Parva’s dharma instruction context, Arjuna articulates (as speaker in this citation) the qualities and natural duties associated with the brāhmaṇa disposition, presenting an ethical framework relevant even amid the pressures of the Kurukṣetra war.