Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
सर्वान् कामान् कामयानो हि धीर: सत्त्वेनाल्पेनाप्रुते हीनदोष: । यश्षात्मान प्रार्थयते<र्थ्यमानै: श्रेय:पात्रं पूरयते च नाल्पम्
sarvān kāmān kāmayāno hi dhīraḥ sattvenālpenāprute hīna-doṣaḥ | yaś cātmānaṃ prārthayate 'rthyamānaiḥ śreyaḥ-pātraṃ pūrayate ca nālpam ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນຂະນະທີ່ປາດຖະໜາຄວາມສຸກສົມບູນທັງປວງ ຄົນທີ່ໝັ້ນຄົງ ແລະຮູ້ທັນ—ຖ້າປາສະຈາກຄວາມຜິດ ບໍ່ຖືກມົນທິນ ແລະມີຄວາມບໍລິສຸດພາຍໃນແມ່ນແຕ່ເພີຍນ້ອຍ—ກໍບໍ່ຖືກຫຼຸດຄ່າ. ກົງກັນຂ້າມ ເມື່ອຜູ້ນັ້ນສະແຫວງຫາຄວາມດີແທ້ຂອງຕົນ ທ່າມກາງຜູ້ທີ່ມາຂໍຜົນປະໂຫຍດທາງໂລກ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຍ່ອມເຕີມພາຊະນະແຫ່ງບຸນ ແລະສະຫວັດດີພາບໃຫ້ເຕັມອຸດົມ ບໍ່ແມ່ນເພີຍນ້ອຍ.
भीष्म उवाच
Desire by itself is not the final measure of a person; what matters is inner purity (sattva), freedom from corruption and faults, and a deliberate orientation toward śreyas (the higher good). Even amid worldly requests and pressures, the wise person who seeks the self’s true welfare accumulates abundant merit and well-being.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira. Here he characterizes the dhīra (steadfast wise person): even if such a person moves among worldly desires and petitioners, his untainted nature and pursuit of śreyas make him a source and receptacle of great good rather than moral decline.