Shloka 8
नृशंस-लक्षणनिर्णयः | Determining the Marks of Cruel Conduct
Nṛśaṃsa
एवं हि राजशार्दूल दुर्बल: सन् बलीयसा । वैरमारभते बालस्तप्यते शाल्मलियीथा,नृपश्रेष्ठ) इसी प्रकार जो मूर्ख मनुष्य स्वयं दुर्बल होकर किसी बलवान्के साथ वैर बाँध लेता है, वह सेमलके समान ही संतापका भागी होता है
evaṁ hi rājaśārdūla durbalaḥ san balīyasā | vairam ārabhate bālas tapyate śālmalī yathā ||
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາຜູ້ດຸດັ່ງເສືອໃນບັນດາກະສັດ! ເປັນຢ່າງນັ້ນແທ້: ຄົນໂງ່ ທັງໆທີ່ຕົນອ່ອນແອ ກັບໄປເລີ່ມຄວາມພະຍາດພາຍກັບຜູ້ແຂງແຮງກວ່າ; ສຸດທ້າຍກໍໄດ້ແຕ່ຮັບທຸກ ເຫມືອນຕົ້ນຊາລະມະລີທີ່ຖືກໄໝ້ຮ້ອນ»។
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not initiate hostility beyond one’s capacity: a weak, immature person who provokes a stronger opponent invites inevitable suffering. Ethical strength includes restraint, realistic judgment, and choosing conflicts only when dharma and capability align.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and statecraft, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) with a warning: reckless enmity—especially by the weak against the strong—leads to self-inflicted misery, illustrated through the śālmalī-tree simile.