Shloka 9
नतु वक्षिन्नयेत् प्राज्ञो गृहीत्वैव करे नरम् । उच्यमानस्तु धर्मेण धर्मलोकभयच्छले
na tu vakṣy nayed prājño gṛhītvāiva kare naram | ucyamānas tu dharmeṇa dharmalokabhayacchale ||
Bhishma disse: Nem mesmo um homem verdadeiramente sábio pode tomar outro pela mão e forçá-lo a entrar no caminho do dharma. Contudo, falando de acordo com a justiça—invocando o dharma e até o temor da censura pública—pode exortá-lo a uma conduta reta.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma cannot be imposed by coercion; the wise should guide through reasoned, lawful admonition, and may also appeal to social accountability (fear of public blame) as a practical means to encourage righteous behavior.
In Bhishma’s instruction on conduct (Anushasana Parva), he explains the limits of moral authority: even the wise cannot compel virtue by force, but they can counsel a person toward dharma using just arguments and socially persuasive considerations.