Shloka 15
Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)
धर्म प्राप्य न्यायवृत्ति न बलीयान् न विन्दति । यस्माद् बलस्योपपत्तिरेकान्तेन न विद्यते
dharmaṁ prāpya nyāyavṛttiṁ na balīyān na vindati | yasmād balasyopapattir ekāntena na vidyate ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຄົນອ່ອນແອ ແມ່ນແຕ່ໄດ້ຖືກທຳແລ້ວ ກໍບໍ່ແນ່ນອນວ່າຈະໄດ້ຊີວິດຄວາມເປັນຢູ່ທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງຕາມຍຸດຕິທຳ. ເພາະການໄດ້ມາຊຶ່ງກໍາລັງ ບໍ່ອາດຮັບປະກັນໄດ້ຢ່າງແນ່ນອນ ໂດຍອາໄສແຕ່ການປະພຶດທຳ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໃນຍາມທຸກຍາກ ການກະທໍາທີ່ປົກກະຕິເປັນອະທຳ ບາງຄັ້ງກໍຖືກເວົ້າວ່າ ‘ເປັນທຳ’ ເພາະຄວາມຈໍາເປັນ. ແຕ່ບັນດານັກປັນຍາຮູ້ຊັດວ່າ ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນວິກິດ ການກະທໍາຂັດກັບທຳ ກໍຍັງເປັນອະທຳຢູ່ດີ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma does not mechanically guarantee worldly power or a secure, fully just livelihood; hence emergencies tempt people to justify questionable acts as ‘necessary.’ Still, Bhīṣma underscores that violating dharma remains adharma even when done under pressure—ethical labels should not be diluted by convenience.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and moral conduct, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the tension between ideal righteousness and harsh realities. He explains why people invoke ‘emergency dharma’ in crises, while also warning that wise judgment recognizes the moral cost of actions taken against dharma.