Shloka 9
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
धर्मस्याख्या महाराज व्यवहार इतीष्यते । तस्य लोप: कथ॑ं न स्याल्लोकेष्ववहितात्मन:
dharmasyākhyā mahārāja vyavahāra itīṣyate | tasya lopaḥ kathaṃ na syāl lokeṣv avahitātmanaḥ ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ມະຫາກະສັດ, ຄຳນິຍາມຂອງ ທັມມະ ເຂົາກ່າວວ່າແມ່ນ ການປະພຶດທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງໃນວິຖີຊີວິດປະຈຳວັນ (vyavahāra). ຖ້າເປັນເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ ທັມມະນັ້ນຈະບໍ່ເສື່ອມຖອຍໃນໂລກ ໃນຫມູ່ຊົນທີ່ຈິດໃຈບໍ່ຕັ້ງມັ່ນ ແລະບໍ່ມີວິໄນ ໄດ້ຢ່າງໃດ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not merely theory but is recognized through lived, practical conduct (vyavahāra). When people are mentally inattentive and undisciplined, the everyday practices that sustain dharma naturally erode, leading to its decline in society.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on the nature of dharma. Here he emphasizes that dharma is identified with real-world conduct and warns that without attentiveness of mind, social and ethical order cannot be maintained.