Shloka 13
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
सम्मानश्चावमानश्ष लाभालाभौ क्षयोदयौ । प्रवृत्ता विनिवर्तन्ते विधानान्ते पुनः पुन:
sammānaś cāvamānaś ca lābhālābhau kṣayodayau | pravṛttā vinivartante vidhānānte punaḥ punaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“荣与辱、得与失、衰与兴——一旦发动，便在既定的轨道走到尽头时，反复回转而来。故而，智者不应为世间对待所动摇，当安住于达摩，知此等起伏皆为循环，受万物之序所统御。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly opposites—honor/dishonor, gain/loss, decline/rise—are not permanent. They recur in cycles and reverse when their allotted course ends; hence one should cultivate steadiness and not abandon dharma due to changing external conditions.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on righteous conduct and mental steadiness after the war, emphasizing that social and material fortunes fluctuate according to the ordained order and should not disturb one’s ethical resolve.