Shloka 15
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
क्षमा धृतिरहिंसा च समता सत्यमार्जवम् | इन्द्रियाभिजयो दाक्ष्यं मार्दव॑ हवीरचापलम्
kṣamā dhṛtir ahiṃsā ca samatā satyam ārjavam | indriyābhijayo dākṣyaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīr acāpalam ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຄວາມອົດທົນ, ຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງ, ອະຫິງສາ (ບໍ່ເຮັດຮ້າຍ), ຈິດໃຈເທົ່າທຽມ, ຄວາມຈິງ ແລະ ຄວາມຕົງຕົວ; ການຊະນະເຫນືອອິນທຣີຍ, ຄວາມສາມາດ, ຄວາມອ່ອນໂຍນ, ຄວາມລະອາຍ, ແລະ ບໍ່ຫວັ່ນໄຫວ—ເມື່ອຄຸນທຳເຫຼົ່ານີ້ເກີດຂຶ້ນ ແລະ ຕັ້ງມັ້ນໃນຄົນ, ນັ້ນແຫຼະເອີ້ນວ່າ “ດະມະ” (dama) ຄື ການສຳລວມຕົນ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma defines dama (self-restraint) not as mere suppression but as the stable emergence of a cluster of virtues—patience, firmness, non-violence, equanimity, truth, straightforwardness, sensory mastery, competence, gentleness, modesty, and steadiness—showing that ethical character and inner discipline are inseparable.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira about moral and spiritual discipline. Here he enumerates the qualities that constitute dama, presenting a practical ethical profile of a self-controlled person.