Shloka 21
Varṇasaṃkara: Causes, Classifications, and Conduct-based Recognition (वर्णसंकरः—हेतु-जाति-आचारनिर्णयः)
यद्यप्याचरित: कैश्रिन्नैष धर्म: सनातन: । अन्येषामपि दृश्यन्ते लोकत: सम्प्रवृत्तय:
yady apy ācaritaḥ kaiścin naiṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | anyeṣām api dṛśyante lokataḥ sampravṛttayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: Ainda que certas pessoas tenham praticado tal conduta, isso não é a lei eterna do dharma. Entre os demais também se veem muitos padrões de comportamento que surgem apenas do costume mundano e da convenção social.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes true, enduring dharma from mere imitation of what some people do. Socially prevalent behavior (lokācāra) can exist widely, yet it does not automatically become 'sanātana dharma'; ethical judgment must look beyond custom to principled righteousness.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he cautions the listener not to justify an action simply because it has precedent or is commonly observed. He frames certain behaviors as products of worldly convention rather than authoritative moral law.