Shloka 17
Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications
द्वेषक्रोधप्रसक्ताश्व॒ शिष्टाचारबहिष्कृता:
dveṣa-krodha-prasaktāś ca śiṣṭācāra-bahiṣkṛtāḥ | madhura-vādināṃ cāpi hṛdaye kaṭhinā bhavanti | teṣāṃ sthitir ghāsa-tṛṇa-channa-kūpa-samā | dharma-nāmnā jagad vañcayantaḥ kṣudrā dharma-dhvajinaḥ jagal lūṇṭhayanti ||
毗湿摩说道：沉溺于憎恨与忿怒者，便摒弃贤雅之行。口吐甘言，心却极其坚硬残酷。其境况如以草与秸秆覆井——悦目之下潜藏祸患。他们假借达摩之名欺世；卑劣之徒以正法之旗为伪装，掠夺世间。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma warns that hatred and anger corrupt character: a person may maintain a sweet exterior while hiding inner cruelty. Such hypocrisy—especially when done under the banner of dharma—becomes socially dangerous, like a concealed well that harms the unsuspecting.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct after the war. Here he describes the type of person who abandons noble conduct, uses pleasant speech as a mask, and exploits society by pretending to be religious.