Shloka 7
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
दमं निः:श्रेयसं प्राहुर्वद्धा निश्चितदर्शिन: । ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषेण दमो धर्म: सनातन:,धर्मके सिद्धान्तको जाननेवाले वृद्ध पुरुष दमको नि:श्रेयस (परम कल्याण) का साधन बताते हैं। विशेषतः ब्राह्मणके लिये तो दम ही सनातन धर्म है
damaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ prāhur vṛddhā niścitadarśinaḥ | brāhmaṇasya viśeṣeṇa damo dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Os anciãos de visão firme declaram que o autocontrole é o meio para o bem supremo. E, para um brâmane em particular, o autocontrole em si é o dharma eterno.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Self-restraint (dama)—the disciplined control of senses and mind—is taught by authoritative elders as the direct means to niḥśreyasa, the highest welfare. For Brahmins, whose vocation centers on learning, teaching, and spiritual discipline, dama is emphasized as their perennial, defining dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by citing the verdict of venerable, clear-sighted elders: the path to ultimate good is grounded in inner restraint, and this virtue is especially central to Brahminical life.