Shloka 12
पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
स्त्रियं हत्वा मातरं च को हि जातु सुखी भवेत् । पितरं चाप्यवज्ञाय कः प्रतिष्ठामवाप्रुयात्
striyaṁ hatvā mātaraṁ ca ko hi jātu sukhī bhavet | pitaraṁ cāpy avajñāya kaḥ pratiṣṭhām avāpruyāt ||
គាត់គិតថា៖ «សម្លាប់ស្ត្រីម្នាក់—ហើយជាម្តាយរបស់ខ្លួនផ្ទាល់—តើកូនណាអាចមានសុខពិតប្រាកដបាន? ហើយអ្នកណា ដែលមើលងាយ និងបង្អាប់ឪពុករបស់ខ្លួន នឹងអាចទទួលបានកិត្តិយស និងឋានៈយូរអង្វែងក្នុងលោកនេះ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma underscores a dharmic axiom: grave violence against a woman—especially one’s mother—and contempt toward one’s father destroy the foundations of inner happiness (sukha) and public legitimacy (pratiṣṭhā). Ethical life begins with reverence and non-injury toward those to whom one owes life and nurture.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma warns against extreme adharma within the family sphere. He frames the point as rhetorical questions: such acts inevitably block both personal well-being and social honour.