Shloka 68
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
न दुष्करमिदं पुत्र यत् प्रभुर्घातयेत् परम् । श्लाघनीया यशस्या च लोके प्रभवतां क्षमा
na duṣkaram idaṃ putra yat prabhur ghātayet param | ślāghanīyā yaśasyā ca loke prabhavatāṃ kṣamā ||
毗湿摩说道：“吾子啊，强权之主欲使他人被杀，并非难事；然而有权者若能选择宽恕，此等克制才为世人真正称颂——王者之名望亦由此忍让而增长。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that the mere ability to punish or kill is not an achievement for the powerful; true greatness lies in self-restraint—especially forgiveness—which earns lasting praise and enhances a ruler’s reputation.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and kingship, Bhishma addresses the listener as “son” and contrasts brute power with the higher royal virtue of kṣamā (forgiveness), presenting it as the source of genuine public esteem and enduring fame.