Shloka 11
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
क्रूर स््वभाववाले पापी भी पृथक्-पृथक् सत्यकी शपथ खाकर ही आपसमें द्रोह या विवादसे बचे रहते हैं। इतना ही नहीं, वे सत्यका आश्रय लेकर सत्यकी ही दुहाई देकर अपने-अपने कर्मोमें प्रवृत्त होते हैं
krūra-svabhāvavāle pāpino 'pi pṛthak-pṛthak satyasya śapathaṃ kṛtvāiva parasparaṃ drohāt vā vivādāt vā rakṣyante. na kevalam; te satyam āśritya satyasyaiva duhāṃ dattvā sva-sva-karmasu pravartante.
भीष्म उवाच—क्रूरस्वभावा अपि पापाः पृथक्पृथक् सत्यस्य शपथं कृत्वैव परस्परद्रोहविवादाभ्यां निवर्तन्ते। सत्यं शरणं कृत्वा सत्यं साक्षिणं कृत्वा स्वकर्मसु प्रवर्तन्ते॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truth (satya) functions as a regulating moral force: even people of sinful and cruel tendencies restrain treachery and disputes when bound by an oath to truth and when they invoke truth as a witness to their actions.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he highlights how social trust and restraint can arise from commitment to satya—showing that oaths and the public invocation of truth can curb conflict even among those otherwise inclined to wrongdoing.