Shloka 12
Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)
असद वा हसितं किंचिदहितं वापि कर्मणा । रहस्यमरहस्यं वा न प्रवर्तामि सर्वथा
asad vā hasitaṃ kiñcid ahitaṃ vāpi karmaṇā | rahasyam arahasyaṃ vā na pravartāmi sarvathā ||
Bhishma disse: “Nunca me entreguei a qualquer gracejo impróprio, nem jamais causei dano por meio das minhas ações. Quer em segredo, quer em público, não me envolvo de modo algum em conduta dissimulada ou abertamente indecorosa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should maintain purity of conduct and speech: avoid indecent joking and avoid harming others through any action, behaving consistently the same in private and in public.
In his instruction on dharma, Bhishma presents a personal ethical standard—claiming he never engaged in improper humor or harmful deeds, and that his conduct did not change based on whether the setting was private or public.