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 ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອພະຣາຊາເຫັນວ່າມີຜູ້ອື່ນຫຼາຍຄົນສະໜັບສະໜູນວິທີປະພຶດໃດ ພະອົງກໍຄວນຮັບເອົາວິທີປະພຶດນັ້ນ. ເພາະຜູ້ຮູ້ທັນທຳມະ ຖືວ່າ ‘ອາຈາຣະ’ (ācāra) ຫຼືຈາຣີດປະເພນີອັນຖືກຕ້ອງ ແມ່ນເຄື່ອງໝາຍທີ່ໜັກແນ່ນທີ່ສຸດຂອງທຳມະ».
भीष्म उवाच
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.