Shloka 6
ततः स धर्म वेदोक्त तथा शास्त्रोक्तमेव च । शिष्टाचीर्ण च धर्म च त्रिविधं चिन्त्य चेतसा
tataḥ sa dharma vedoktaḥ tathā śāstrokta eva ca | śiṣṭācīrṇaś ca dharmaś ca trividhaṁ cintya cetasā ||
Então deve-se refletir, com mente firme, sobre o dharma como tríplice: (1) o ensinado nos Vedas, (2) o estabelecido nos śāstras, e (3) o praticado pelos cultos e exemplares (śiṣṭas).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that dharma should be understood through three complementary authorities: Vedic revelation (vedokta), śāstric formulation (śāstrokta), and the lived practice of exemplary people (śiṣṭācāra). Ethical judgment should weigh all three.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Bhīṣma continues advising on how to discern dharma, directing the listener to contemplate its three recognized sources rather than relying on a single criterion.