Shloka 8
Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)
न चाप्याचरित: पूर्वरयं धर्मो महात्मभि: । न चाप्यधर्मो विद्वद्धिश्षरितव्य:ः कथंचन
na cāpy ācaritaḥ pūrvaṃ ayaṃ dharmo mahātmabhiḥ | na cāpy adharmo vidvadbhiḥ kartavyaḥ kathaṃcana ||
“‘Dharma’ seperti ini tidak pernah diamalkan oleh para mahātmā pada zaman dahulu. Dan orang berilmu, dalam apa jua keadaan sekalipun, tidak seharusnya melakukan adharma.”
दुपद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Drupada appeals to ethical precedent and the standard of the wise: a practice that earlier noble persons did not accept as dharma should not be justified as dharma now, and learned people must not commit adharma under any pretext.
In Drupada’s speech, he rejects a proposed course of action by arguing that it is neither sanctioned by the conduct of earlier great men nor permissible for the learned, framing the decision as a clear choice between dharma and adharma.