Shloka 19
Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa
प्रतिकर्तु न शक्ता ये बलस्थायापकारिणे । असूया जायते तीव्रा कारुण्याद् विनिवर्तते
pratikartuṁ na śaktā ye balasthāyāpakāriṇe | asūyā jāyate tīvrā kāruṇyād vinivartate ||
ภีษมะกล่าวว่า—ผู้ใดไม่อาจตอบโต้ผู้ทำร้ายอันมีกำลังได้ ย่อมเกิดอสูยาอันรุนแรง—ความชอบจับผิดและริษยาปนชัง—ในดวงใจ แต่เมื่อความกรุณาเกิดขึ้น ความขมขื่นนั้นย่อมสงบและคลายไป
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a person feels powerless to answer harm with retaliation, the mind often turns to asūyā—resentful fault-finding. Cultivating compassion (kāruṇya) dissolves that inner poison and restores ethical clarity.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhishma explains a common moral-psychological pattern: inability to punish a strong offender breeds bitterness, but compassion can neutralize it.