Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
नैव बाष्पविमोक्षेण न वा श्वासकृते न च
naiva bāṣpavimokṣeṇa na vā śvāsakṛte na ca
Джамбука сказал: «Не одним лишь пролитием слёз и не вздохами, не тяжёлым дыханием возникает желанный духовный плод».
जम्बुक उवाच
External signs of feeling—such as crying or sighing—are not, by themselves, proof of virtue or a means to attain the ethical/spiritual goal; genuine transformation requires inner discipline and right understanding rather than mere display.
In Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Jambuka speaks in a teaching tone, dismissing superficial emotional expressions as insufficient, implying that true dharma is measured by conduct and inner realization rather than outward lamentation.