Shloka 20
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
असिर्विशसनो धर्मस्तीक्षणवर्मा दुराधर: । श्रीगर्भो विजय: शास्ता व्यवहार: सनातन:
asir viśasano dharmas tīkṣṇavarmā durādharaḥ | śrīgarbho vijayaḥ śāstā vyavahāraḥ sanātanaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“法（Dharma）如同斩落的利剑；难以承受，披着锋锐的甲胄，亦难以抵挡。然而它内含昌盛；它带来胜利，作为严峻的导师而立，并在世间往来之事上，恒为正行的永恒准绳。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not merely gentle advice; it can be severe and demanding like a weapon. Though difficult to uphold, it protects, disciplines, and ultimately yields prosperity and victory, serving as an enduring standard for right conduct.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living and governance, Bhīṣma characterizes dharma through vivid metaphors—sword, armor, and ruler—to impress upon the listener that moral order both restrains wrongdoing and sustains society through lasting norms of conduct.