Shloka 14
त्रिवर्गविचारः
Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma
आश्रमेषु चतुर्ष्वाहुर्दममेवोत्तमं व्रतम् । तस्य लिड्डानि वक्ष्यामि येषां समुदयों दम:
āśrameṣu caturṣv āhur damaṃ evottamaṃ vratam | tasya liṅgāni vakṣyāmi yeṣāṃ samudayo damaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Sa apat na yugto ng buhay (ashrama), ipinahahayag ng marurunong na ang pagpipigil-sa-sarili lamang ang pinakamataas na panata. Ngayon ay ilalarawan ko ang mga palatandaan nito—yaong mga tanda na kapag sumibol at nanatiling matatag, iyon ang tunay na kahulugan ng ‘dama’: ang disiplinadong paghahari sa mga pandama at sa isip.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That self-restraint (dama)—mastery over the senses and mind—is the supreme vow applicable across all four āśramas, and it is recognized by specific observable traits that Bhīṣma is about to enumerate.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues his ethical discourse and introduces a focused teaching: he elevates dama as the highest discipline for every stage of life and prepares to list the signs by which genuine self-restraint is known.