Shloka 263

Devanagari script

न च कायेन कृतवान्‌ स पापं परमण्वपि । धर्मपूर्वक राज्यका शासन करते हुए उन शत्रुघाती नरेशने न तो कभी असत्य भाषण किया और न कभी उनका मन ही बुरे विचारोंसे दूषित हुआ। अपने शरीरके द्वारा उन्होंने कभी छोटे-से-छोटा पाप भी नहीं किया था

Transliteration

na ca kāyena kṛtavān sa pāpaṃ paramaṇv api |

Translation

ভীষ্মে ক’লে—ধৰ্ম অনুসাৰে ৰাজ্য শাসন কৰা সেই শত্রুঘাতী ৰজাই কেতিয়াও অসত্য কোৱা নাছিল; তেওঁৰ মনো কেতিয়াও নীচ চিন্তাৰে কলুষিত হোৱা নাছিল। দেহক্ৰিয়াৰে তেওঁ অণুমাত্ৰ পাপো কৰা নাছিল।

Word by Word

नnot

चand

कायेनby the body

कृतवान्did / committed (having done)

सःhe

पापम्sin, evil deed

परमाणुthe smallest particle; an atom (i.e., even the least bit)

अपिeven, also

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

an unnamed dharma-abiding king (enemy-slaying ruler)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds a threefold ethic of purity—of body (kāya), speech (vāk), and mind (manas). A truly dharmic ruler is portrayed as one who avoids even the tiniest bodily wrongdoing, does not speak falsehood, and keeps the mind free from corrupt intentions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is describing the exemplary character of a king: a ruler who governs according to dharma and is so disciplined that he commits no sin even in the smallest measure, while also remaining truthful and mentally untainted.