Shloka 17
Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda
कृत्वा कार्यमकार्य वा तुष्टिमेषां प्रयच्छति । त॑ पुत्रपशुसम्पन्नं व्यासक्तमनसं नरम्
kṛtvā kāryam akārya vā tuṣṭim eṣāṃ prayacchati | taṃ putrapaśusampannaṃ vyāsaktamanasaṃ naram ||
করণীয় বা অ-করণীয় কাজ করেও সে কেবল তাদেরই সন্তুষ্ট করতে চায়। এমন মানুষ—পুত্র ও পশুধনে সমৃদ্ধ—আসক্তিতে বাঁধা মন নিয়ে থাকে।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma warns that craving others’ approval can drive a person to perform both rightful and wrongful acts; prosperity in family and wealth can intensify attachment, binding the mind and weakening ethical discernment.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma continues a moral analysis of conduct and motivation, describing a type of person who prioritizes pleasing dependents or associates, even at the cost of dharma, due to strong attachment rooted in household prosperity.