Shloka 20
Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma
यश्षतुर्गुणसम्पन्नं धर्म ब्रूयात् स धर्मवित् । अहेरिव हि धर्मस्य पदं दुःखं गवेषितुम्
yaś caturguṇasampannaṃ dharmaṃ brūyāt sa dharmavit | aher iva hi dharmasya padaṃ duḥkhaṃ gaveṣitum ||
毗湿摩说道：“唯有宣说具足四德之法者，方为知法之人：其法为吠陀所规定，为《忆念》（Smṛti）所认可，为善人所奉行，且亦为自身所悦。因为法的真实‘足迹’难以寻得——如同蛇行之迹。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is subtle and difficult to identify with certainty; therefore, a true dharma-knower is one who can teach dharma that meets reliable criteria (described as ‘fourfold excellence’), rather than relying on mere opinion.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on how to recognize and teach dharma, using the metaphor that dharma’s true trace is as hard to find as a serpent’s track.