Shloka 8
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
सर्वतः पापदर्शी च नास्तिको वेदनिन्दक: । सम्प्रकीर्णेन्द्रियो लोके यः काम॑ निरतश्चरेत्
sarvataḥ pāpadarśī ca nāstiko vedanindakaḥ | samprakīrṇendriyo loke yaḥ kāmaṃ nirataś caret ||
ভীষ্ম ক’লে—যি সকলো দিশতে পাপেই দেখে, যি নাস্তিক আৰু বেদ-নিন্দক, যি ইন্দ্ৰিয়ক লাগামছাড়া কৰি কামনাৰ বশত জগতত ঘূৰে—সেইজন সন্ধিৰ যোগ্য নহয়। আৰু যি সদায় আনৰ দোষ বিচাৰে, সিও যোগ্য নহয়। এতিয়া মই সন্ধিৰ যোগ্যসকলৰ কথা ক’ম—শুনা।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that alliances (sandhi) must be grounded in character: a person ruled by desire, lacking restraint, and scorning moral/sacred authority is inherently unreliable and therefore unfit for any pact.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhīṣma is advising the listener on political and ethical prudence—first listing those unfit for alliance (here: the desire-driven, unrestrained, Veda-reviling nāstika), and then transitioning to describe who is fit for alliance.