Shloka 18

Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)

Devanagari script

पापाचार: पापकर्मा पापात्मा पापसाधन:

Transliteration

pāpācāraḥ pāpakarmā pāpātmā pāpasādhanaḥ

Translation

قال بهيشما: «مَن كان سلوكه إثمًا، وأفعاله إثمًا، وباطنه إثمًا، ويتخذ الوسائل الآثمة أدواتٍ ومواردَ له.»

Word by Word

पापाचारःone whose conduct is sinful

पापकर्माone whose actions are sinful

पापात्माone of sinful nature/soul

पापसाधनःone who employs sinful means; a doer using sinful instruments

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma classifies wrongdoing as a comprehensive moral condition: sin can pervade one’s outward conduct (ācāra), concrete deeds (karma), inner disposition (ātmā), and even the chosen methods or instruments (sādhana). Ethical life therefore requires purity not only of results but also of character and means.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is describing a type of person marked by pervasive pāpa—someone whose behavior, actions, inner nature, and practical methods are all aligned with adharma—likely as part of a broader discussion distinguishing virtuous and non-virtuous traits.