Shloka 12
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
यथोक्तमेतद् वचन प्रागेव मनुना पुरा । यन्मयोक्तं मनुष्येन्द्र ब्रह्मणो वचन महत्
bhīṣma uvāca | yathoktam etad vacanaṃ prāg eva manunā purā | yan mayoktaṃ manuṣyendra brahmaṇo vacanaṃ mahat ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຖ້ອຍຄຳນີ້ ມະນູໄດ້ກ່າວໄວ້ແຕ່ດົນນານແລ້ວ. ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນຫມູ່ມະນຸດ, ສິ່ງທີ່ຂ້າໄດ້ປະກາດນັ້ນ ແມ່ນຖ້ອຍຄຳອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ຂອງ ພຣະພຣະຫມາ (Brahmā). ເນື່ອງຈາກມະນູໄດ້ປະກາດມັນໄວ້ກ່ອນແລ້ວ ຈຶ່ງຮູ້ຈັກກັນອີກຊື່ວ່າ ‘ຖ້ອຍຄຳກ່ອນ’ (prāg-vacana). ແລະເພາະມັນວາງຫຼັກການແຫ່ງການປະພຶດໃນໂລກ ແລະການພິພາກສາຕັດສິນ (vyavahāra) ຈຶ່ງເອີ້ນຢູ່ນີ້ວ່າ ‘Vyavahāra’».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma grounds his instruction in recognized authority: the same rule was taught earlier by Manu and ultimately reflects Brahmā’s great pronouncement. Because it guides practical dealings and adjudication, it is classified under vyavahāra—dharma as applied to real-world conduct and legal order.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira). Here he clarifies that his present teaching is not novel: it is an ancient doctrine already stated by Manu and traceable to Brahmā, thereby reinforcing its legitimacy for governance and social/legal practice.