The Imperative to Uphold Dharma Beyond Personal Conduct – One Should Condemn Sinful Deeds That One Comes Across Not Bear
It Silently – Reason Of Bhishma Suffering In Mahabharata
In the final chapters of the Mahabharata, Bhishma lies wounded upon a bed of arrows, awaiting the auspicious moment of Uttarayan to relinquish his mortal coil. Although he has lived a life of strict discipline and unwavering adherence to dharma, he finds himself unable to willfully depart from the world. Perplexed and in pain, Bhishma turns to Veda Vyasa for guidance. Vyasa reveals that true righteousness extends beyond personal conduct: one must actively oppose unrighteousness whenever encountered.
Bhishma’s Dilemma on the Bed of Arrows
As the war concluded, Bhishma lay grievously wounded, yet clung to life through strength of will. He had taken a vow of iccha-mrityu—the power to choose the moment of his death—but could not exercise it. Bhishma reflected on his long life of sacrifice and duty: he had always guarded his dharma. Confronted by his own inability to die, he questioned whether some unfulfilled duty bound him still.
Vyasa’s Lesson: Condemn Sin, Not Bear It Silently
Veda Vyasa explains that a life of dharma demands more than inner purity and obedience to one’s vows. It requires speaking out and acting against injustice when it is witnessed. Vyasa reminds Bhishma of the episode when Draupadi was publicly humiliated in the Kaurava court. Although Bhishma recognized the atrocity with his mind and heard Draupadi’s cries with his ears, he remained silent. He believed that Bhishma’s own vow prevented him from intervening. Yet this inaction constituted a lapse in dharma: the failure to defend the helpless against clear wrongdoing.
Teaching in the Light of Hindu Scriptures
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Manusmriti and Duty to Intervene
Manusmriti, the ancient treatise on social and moral conduct, states that those who witness an adharma—unrighteous deed—are obliged to intervene. It is not enough to maintain one’s personal conduct; the welfare of society depends on righteous individuals speaking against vice. -
Bhagavad Gita on Action Without Attachment
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna instructs Arjuna to act according to dharma without attachment to outcomes (Karmanye vadhikaraste…). This teaching implies that one’s duty includes preventing adharma wherever possible, even if one is personally bound by vows or attachments. -
Examples from Vedic and Puranic Teachers
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Yajnavalkya taught that a wise person must uphold truth even at personal cost.
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Chanakya emphasized that silence in the face of injustice ultimately harms society and dharma.
—These teachings echo Vyasa’s counsel to Bhishma: inner purity requires outer courage.
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Symbolism of Bhishma’s Inability to Depart
Bhishma’s gift of iccha-mrityu symbolizes the highest spiritual attainment: freedom from death through will. Yet his inability to die until he had addressed the karmic consequences of his past silence illustrates that spiritual liberation must encompass both personal austerities and social responsibility. His body, pierced by arrows yet preserved by his vow, stands as a metaphor for the soul: one may master self-discipline, but until every duty—especially the duty to protect dharma—is fulfilled, true release remains elusive.
The Role of Suffering in Self-Realization
Bhishma’s prolonged suffering on his arrow bed also represents the purifying fire of pain. In Hindu thought, suffering often reveals hidden faults: his agony forced him to examine the one lapse in an otherwise flawless life. The body’s refusal to release him underscores how unaddressed kleshas (mental afflictions) can tether even the loftiest soul to samsara (cycle of birth and death).
Insights from Teachers and Scriptures
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Adi Shankaracharya, in his commentaries, notes that knowledge alone is insufficient; it must manifest as compassionate action.
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Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita teaches that self-realization includes recognizing one’s interconnectedness with society; to ignore social duty is to hinder spiritual progress.
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Narada Bhakti Sutra emphasizes that true devotion to the Divine includes standing against adharma, for a society mired in sin cannot reflect the harmony of the Supreme.
Other Reflections on This Teaching
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Modern Relevance: In today’s world, many witness injustices—social, political, or environmental—and remain silent due to fear or indifference. Bhishma’s example urges us to overcome personal barriers to speak out.
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Women’s Protection: Draupadi’s disrobing epitomizes violence against women. Bhishma’s regret reminds us that silence in the face of gender-based violence perpetuates suffering.
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Ethical Leadership: Leaders must recognize that neutrality in moral crises equates to complicity. Genuine leadership demands confronting wrongdoing openly.
Final Thoughts
Bhishma’s predicament teaches that personal piety and self-discipline must be complemented by the courage to oppose injustice. His silence during Draupadi’s humiliation became the hinge upon which his spiritual progress was delayed. Veda Vyasa’s counsel underscores a fundamental principle of Hindu dharma: righteous living encompasses not only individual purity but also the obligation to protect the vulnerable and to condemn sinful deeds when they arise. Only when both aspects are fulfilled can one attain true liberation.