Shloka 51
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
व्यवहारस्तु वेदात्मा वेदप्रत्यय उच्यते । मौलश्न नरशार्दूल शास्त्रोक्तश्न तथा पर:
vyavahāras tu vedātmā vedapratyaya ucyate | maulaś ca naraśārdūla śāstroktas ca tathā paraḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：世间之行事与裁断（vyavahāra）被称为以吠陀为其灵魂，并依凭吠陀之权威。然而，噫，人中之虎啊，尚有一条原初而根本的准则；亦有另一条由诸论典（śāstra）所宣示的准则——当义务与法度之疑难生起时，它们各自都可作为正当裁决的指引。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that worldly/legal practice (vyavahāra) should not be treated as mere convention: it is ideally rooted in the Veda and validated by Vedic authority. Alongside this, he acknowledges multiple standards for determining right conduct—an original/foundational basis (maula) and an additional basis articulated in śāstra—indicating a layered approach to dharma where practice, Vedic grounding, and śāstric formulation interact.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, governance, and norms after the war. Here he is clarifying how to evaluate rules and judgments: everyday practice is to be understood as Veda-rooted, while also recognizing foundational principles and śāstric prescriptions as complementary guides in deciding what is right.