Shloka 9
Brāhmaṇa-kṛtya, Āśrama-niyama, and Dāna-prasaṃsā
Duties of the Brāhmaṇa, āśrama discipline, and praise of giving
भवाभवीो त्वभिजानन् गरीयो ज्ञानाच्छेयो न तु तद् वै करोमि । आशासु धर्म्यासु परासु कुर्वन् यथा नियुक्तोडस्मि तथा वहामि
bhāvābhāvau tv abhijānann garīyo jñānāc chreyo na tu tad vai karomi | āśāsu dharmyāsu parāsu kurvan yathā niyukto ’smi tathā vahāmi ||
毗湿摩说道：“我明了众生的兴起与衰落；我也知晓更高的善，并懂得真正的安乐由智慧而得。然而我并未将此智慧付诸实行。反倒是被种种希求所驱使——有的合乎法（dharma），有的违背法——我只是依着内在的主宰（Inner Ruler）所推动的那样，承担并履行我的职责。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the gap between knowing the good (śreyas) through knowledge and actually living it. It also reflects on how human action is often driven by desires and mixed motives, while one experiences oneself as being impelled by an inner directing principle (antaryāmin), raising questions about self-mastery and moral responsibility.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma speaks introspectively about human conduct: despite understanding what leads to true welfare, he admits failing to enact it and instead continuing to bear responsibilities as prompted from within, with hopes that may be righteous or unrighteous.