Shloka 23
आपद्धर्मे राज्ञः नीतिः — Bharadvāja’s Counsel on Crisis-Statecraft (Śānti Parva 138)
एतौ धर्मार्थशास्त्रेषु मोक्षशास्त्रेषु चर्षिभि: । प्रधानाविति निर्दिष्टी कामे चाभिमतौ नृणाम्
etau dharmārthaśāstreṣu mokṣaśāstreṣu carṣibhiḥ | pradhānāv iti nirdiṣṭī kāme cābhimatau nṛṇām ||
Disse Bhīṣma: “Nos tratados sobre dharma e artha, e igualmente nos ensinamentos sobre a libertação (mokṣa), os sábios declararam que estes dois são os fatores principais. Mesmo na realização dos desejos humanos, estes dois são tidos como o meio primordial.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That successful action and right judgment depend chiefly on two contextual determinants—place and time (deśa and kāla). Sages treat them as primary across dharma, artha, and mokṣa teachings, and even for achieving ordinary desires.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on principles of conduct and governance, emphasizing that scriptural rules must be applied with sensitivity to circumstance—especially the appropriateness of place and time.