Shloka 22
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
प्लवन्ते धर्मलघवो लोके5म्भसि यथा प्लवा: | मज्जन्ति पापगुरव: शस्त्र स्कन्नमिवोदके
plavante dharma-laghavo loke 'mbhasi yathā plavāḥ | majjanti pāpa-guravaḥ śastra-skannam ivodake ||
ភីṣ្មៈបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ «នៅក្នុងលោកនេះ អ្នកដែលរក្សាខ្លួនឲ្យស្រាលដោយធម៌—មិនដាក់បាបធ្ងន់លើខ្លួន—នឹងអណ្ដែតឆ្លងសមុទ្រសង្សារដូចទូកលើទឹក។ តែអ្នកដែលធ្ងន់ដោយបាប នឹងលិចដូចអាវុធដែលគេបោះចូលទឹក ហើយធ្លាក់ចូលសមុទ្រនរក»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma functions like buoyancy: ethical living keeps a person ‘light’ and able to cross saṃsāra, while sin becomes a heavy load that causes one to sink into suffering (symbolized as a hellish sea).
In the opening of the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he uses a vivid simile—boats floating and weapons sinking—to impress the moral consequence of dharma versus pāpa.