Shloka 15
दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint
Dama
कर्मणा बीजभूतेन चोद्यते यद् यदिन्द्रियम् । जायते तदहड्कारादू रागयुक्तेन चेतसा
karmaṇā bījabhūtena codyate yad yad indriyam | jāyate tad ahaṅkārād rāgayuktena cetasā ||
ビーシュマは言った。種子となった業によって働きへと駆り立てられるいかなる感官能力も、心が執着と結びつくとき、アハンカーラ（ahaṃkāra）すなわち我執を通して、その能力として現れる。かくして具身の経験は形づくられる。過去の行為が因の種子を与え、「我」という観念と渇愛に駆られる心が、特定の知覚と関わりの様式を生み出すのである。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a causal chain: karmic impressions act as the seed, but the actual arising and functioning of the senses is mediated by egoism (ahaṅkāra) and a mind colored by attachment (rāga). Ethical progress therefore requires weakening attachment and ego-identification, not merely changing external actions.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma explains to the listener how embodied experience is generated. He analyzes the psychological and karmic conditions by which particular sense-activities arise, framing it as guidance for self-control and liberation-oriented conduct.