Shloka 20
Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa
कृपणान् सतत दृष्टवा ततः संजायते कृपा । धर्मनिष्ठां यदा वेत्ति तदा शाम्यति सा कृपा
kṛpaṇān satataṃ dṛṣṭvā tataḥ saṃjāyate kṛpā | dharmaniṣṭhāṃ yadā vetti tadā śāmyati sā kṛpā ||
ភីष្មៈបានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ ដោយឃើញមនុស្សកំណាញ់ និងចិត្តតូចតាចជានិច្ច និស្ស័យតូចតាចដូចគ្នានោះក៏កើតឡើងក្នុងខ្លួនឯង។ ប៉ុន្តែពេលបានស្គាល់ចិត្តសប្បុរសរបស់អ្នកដែលតាំងខ្លួននៅក្នុងធម៌ និស្ស័យកំណាញ់នោះក៏ស្ងប់ស្ងាត់ និងបាត់បង់ទៅ។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One’s character is shaped by what one repeatedly observes and keeps company with: constant exposure to miserly, petty conduct breeds the same tendency, while understanding and valuing the generosity of dharma-steady people dissolves that pettiness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he explains a psychological-ethical principle: the mind imitates what it repeatedly witnesses, and noble exemplars can correct and calm ignoble tendencies.