Shloka 14
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
दैत्य न व्यथसे शौर्यादथवा वृद्धसेवया । तपसा भावितत्वाद् वा सर्वथैतत् सुदुष्करम्
bhīṣma uvāca | daitya na vyathase śauryād athavā vṛddhasevayā | tapasā bhāvitattvād vā sarvathaitat suduṣkaram ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，阿修罗族的勇者，为何见敌人昌盛而不忧不恼？是凭你的勇武么？是因你侍奉长者么？抑或因苦行熏修，使内心澄净，故而不生悲叹？对寻常之人而言，如此定力无论如何都极其难得。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma highlights the rarity of true equanimity: not being shaken even when an adversary prospers. He points to possible sources of such steadiness—courage, disciplined respect for elders, and inner purification through tapas—implying that ethical formation and self-control are hard-won virtues.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Bhishma addresses a Daitya and marvels at his lack of distress upon witnessing an enemy’s rise. He probes the cause of this composure and remarks that such endurance is extremely difficult for ordinary people.