Shloka 15
Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma
यथा यथास्य बहव: सहाया: स्युस्तथा परे | आचारमेव मन्यन्ते गरीयो धर्मलक्षणम्
yathā yathāsya bahavaḥ sahāyāḥ syus tathā pare | ācāram eva manyante garīyo dharmalakṣaṇam ||
ビーシュマは言った。「王が、ある行いを多くの者が支え助けていると知るなら、王もまたその行いを採るがよい。真にダルマを知る者は、確立された正しい慣行（ācāra）こそ、ダルマを量る最も重い標（しるべ）であるとみなすからである。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is most reliably recognized through ācāra—authoritative, lived conduct upheld by the community; therefore a ruler should align his behavior with sound, widely supported practice rather than mere theory.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous governance and moral order, Bhishma advises the listener that a king should adopt conduct that is supported by many capable people, emphasizing that the learned treat proper conduct as the chief indicator of dharma.