Shloka 3
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
दुर्भिक्षादेव दुर्भिक्षं क्लेशात् क्लेशं भयाद् भयम् । मृतेभ्य: प्रमृतं यान्ति दरिद्रा: पापकारिण:
durbhikṣād eva durbhikṣaṃ kleśāt kleśaṃ bhayād bhayam | mṛtebhyaḥ pramṛtaṃ yānti daridrāḥ pāpakāriṇaḥ ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຈາກຄວາມອຶດຢາກ ກໍຕົກໄປສູ່ຄວາມອຶດຢາກຍິ່ງກວ່າ; ຈາກຄວາມລຳບາກ ກໍໄປສູ່ຄວາມລຳບາກລຶກກວ່າ; ຈາກຄວາມຢ້ານ ກໍໄປສູ່ຄວາມຢ້ານຍິ່ງກວ່າ. ຄົນທຸກຍາກຜູ້ກໍ່ບາບ ຈົມລົງໃນສະພາບທີ່ເລວຮ້າຍກວ່າຄວາມຕາຍ—ດັ່ງວ່າ ‘ຕາຍ’ ຍິ່ງກວ່າຜູ້ຕາຍ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that destitution combined with unethical conduct creates a self-reinforcing spiral: scarcity breeds more scarcity, suffering multiplies, fear intensifies, and the person becomes socially and spiritually 'dead'—cut off from dignity, stability, and dharmic life.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing the cascading misery that befalls sinful, impoverished people, underscoring the moral and social urgency of righteous conduct and responsible rule.