Vipulopākhyāna—Ruci-rakṣā and Śakra’s Māyā (विपुलोपाख्यानम्—रुचिरक्षणं शक्रमाया च)
अप्रामाण्यं च वेदानां शास्त्राणां चाभिलड्घनम् । अव्यवस्था च सर्वत्र एतान्नाशनमात्मन:
aprāmāṇyaṃ ca vedānāṃ śāstrāṇāṃ cābhilaṅghanam | avyavasthā ca sarvatra etān nāśanam ātmanaḥ ||
Bhīṣma nói: Xem Veda là không đáng tin, vượt trái mệnh lệnh của śāstra, và gieo rắc sự vô trật tự khắp nơi—tất cả đều là nguyên nhân dẫn đến sự diệt vong của chính mình.
भीष्म उवाच
Rejecting the authority of the Vedas, violating śāstric injunctions, and promoting disorder are not merely social faults; they are self-defeating actions that lead to one’s own downfall. Dharma is sustained by recognized sources of guidance and disciplined conduct.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he warns against attitudes and actions that undermine sacred authority and social-ethical order, emphasizing their destructive consequences for the individual.