Shloka 21
आपद्धर्मे कोशबलन्यायः | Treasury, Force, and Crisis-Ethics for the King
मुनिर्वाच महर्षिभ्भगवांस्तेन पूर्वमासीद् विमानित: । बालिशां बुद्धिमास्थाय मन्दभाग्यतया55त्मन:
munir uvāca maharṣir bhagavāṁs tena pūrvam āsīd vimānitaḥ | bāliśāṁ buddhim āsthāya mandabhāgyatayātmanaḥ ||
मुनिरुवाच—महर्षिर्भगवांस्तेन पूर्वमासीद् विमानीतः। बालिशां बुद्धिमास्थाय मन्दभाग्यतया आत्मनः॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical warning: when a wise person adopts the mindset and standards of the foolish, he risks losing dignity and being disrespected. Wisdom should not be compromised by conforming to ignorance; one should maintain discernment and self-respect aligned with dharma.
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse in Śānti Parva, a quoted speaker (“the sage said”) recounts that a revered great seer was previously insulted. The reason given is that, due to his own misfortune, he took on the understanding of the foolish, which led to his being slighted.