Shloka 18
Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः
स्वशरीरोपरोधेन धनमादातुमिच्छत: । सत्यसम्प्रतिपत्त्यर्थ यद् ब्रूयु: साक्षिण: क्वचित्
svaśarīroparodhenā dhanam ādātum icchataḥ | satyasampratipattyarthaṃ yad brūyuḥ sākṣiṇaḥ kvacit ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: Kapag may taong nagnanais agawin ang yaman ng iba sa pamamagitan ng pagharang sa kanya gamit ang sariling katawan, kung gayon—tanging upang maitatag ang katotohanan—sa ganitong pagkakataon, maaaring sabihin ng mga saksi ang nararapat sabihin.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes that witness testimony is justified and should be directed toward establishing truth, especially in situations where someone attempts to wrongfully seize property through coercive obstruction; the ethical priority is satya (truth) as the basis of justice.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-instruction context, Bhīṣma is outlining principles of adjudication and social order, describing a scenario of coercion over wealth and indicating how witnesses should speak so that the truth of the matter is properly determined.