Shloka 21
दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint
Dama
इन्द्रियोंकी उत्पत्ति और लय--ये दोनों कार्य रजोगुणमें ही होते हैं। विद्वान् पुरुष शास्त्रदृष्टिसे इन बातोंकी भलीभाँति परीक्षा करके यथोचित आचरण करे ।।
indriyāṇāṁ utpattiḥ layaś ca—ete ubhau kāryau rajoguṇe eva bhavataḥ | vidvān puruṣaḥ śāstradṛṣṭyā etāḥ kathāḥ samyak parīkṣya yathocitam ācaret || jñānendriyāṇi indriyārthān na upasarpanti atṛṣṇulam | hīnaiḥ karaṇaiḥ dehī na dehaṁ punaḥ arhati ||
Ipinaliwanag ni Bhīṣma na ang paglitaw at pagkalusaw ng mga pandama ay mga gawang nakaugat sa rajas (katangiang masigla at magulo). Kaya dapat siyasatin ito ng marunong sa liwanag ng śāstra at kumilos nang nararapat. Kapag wala na ang pagnanasa, ang mga pandamang pang-unawa ay hindi na tumatakbo sa kanilang mga bagay; at kapag ang may-katawang sarili ay napalaya sa pagkakapit sa mga bagay ng pandama—na wari’y nanghihina ang mga kasangkapan nito—hindi na ito muling kukuha ng panibagong katawan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Craving drives the senses outward and sustains embodied existence; when thirst for objects is extinguished and the senses no longer pursue their targets, the basis for further embodiment (rebirth) is removed. Hence one should examine this through śāstra and practice appropriate restraint and detachment.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues his counsel on inner discipline and liberation-oriented ethics, explaining how the guṇas—especially rajas—relate to the activity of the senses and how freedom from desire leads toward release from repeated embodiment.