Ānṛśaṃsya, Amātya-Guṇa, and Reconciliatory Counsel (आनृशंस्य–अमात्यगुण–संधि-उपदेशः)
आनृशंस्येन धर्मेण लोके हास्मिन् जिजीविषु: । नाहमेतदल कर्तु नैतत् त्वय्युपपद्यते
bhīṣma uvāca |
ānṛśaṁsyena dharmeṇa loke hāsmin jijīviṣuḥ |
na aham etad alaṁ kartuṁ na etat tvayy upapadyate ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Dengan hasrat untuk hidup di dunia ini dengan bersandar pada dharma belas kasihan dan tidak kejam, aku sama sekali tidak mungkin melakukan perbuatan yang tidak benar itu. Dan nasihat seperti itu juga tidak layak keluar daripada tuan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Compassion (ānṛśaṁsya) is presented as a defining form of dharma: one should not adopt or recommend conduct that violates non-cruelty and moral propriety, even if it seems expedient.
Bhishma rejects a suggested course of action as adharma, stating that he intends to live by compassionate righteousness and that such advice is unfitting for the person addressing him.