Shloka 15
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 ||
ज्या आचरणाला अनेक सहकारी व श्रेष्ठ जनांचा आधार मिळतो, तेच आचरण राजाने स्वीकारावे; कारण धर्म जाणणारे पुरुष आचारालाच धर्माचे सर्वात भारी लक्षण मानतात।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.