Shloka 9
नतु वक्षिन्नयेत् प्राज्ञो गृहीत्वैव करे नरम् । उच्यमानस्तु धर्मेण धर्मलोकभयच्छले
na tu vakṣy nayed prājño gṛhītvāiva kare naram | ucyamānas tu dharmeṇa dharmalokabhayacchale ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Kahit ang tunay na marunong ay hindi makakahawak sa kamay ng isang tao at piliting itulak siya sa landas ng dharma. Ngunit sa pagsasalita ayon sa katarungan—pagbanggit sa dharma at maging sa takot sa pagsansala ng madla—maaari niyang hikayatin ang taong iyon tungo sa matuwid na asal.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma cannot be imposed by coercion; the wise should guide through reasoned, lawful admonition, and may also appeal to social accountability (fear of public blame) as a practical means to encourage righteous behavior.
In Bhishma’s instruction on conduct (Anushasana Parva), he explains the limits of moral authority: even the wise cannot compel virtue by force, but they can counsel a person toward dharma using just arguments and socially persuasive considerations.