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 ||
ರಾಜನಿಗೆ ಯಾವ ಆಚರಣೆಗೆ ಅನೇಕ ಸಹಾಯಕರು ಮತ್ತು ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠರು ಬೆಂಬಲವಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾರೋ, ಅದೇ ಆಚರಣೆಯನ್ನು ಅವನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಬೇಕು; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಧರ್ಮಜ್ಞರು ಆಚಾರತನ್ನೇ ಧರ್ಮದ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಭಾರೀ ಲಕ್ಷಣವೆಂದು ಮನ್ಯಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ।
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.