Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एक एव चरेद्‌ धर्म न धर्मध्वजिको भवेत्‌ | धर्मवाणिजका होते ये धर्ममुपभुज्जते

Transliteration

eka eva cared dharmaṁ na dharmadhvajiko bhavet | dharmavāṇijakā hote ye dharmam upabhuñjate ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Ein Mensch soll Dharma üben, selbst wenn er es allein tun muss; er soll nicht zu einem werden, der Tugend als Banner zur Schau trägt. Wer Dharma zum Broterwerb macht—wer Dharma zum Gewinn ‘verzehrt’—ist nur ein Händler der Rechtschaffenheit.“

Word by Word

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• चरेत्: should practice/observe
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• धर्मध्वजिकः: one who carries dharma as a banner; a hypocritical showman of dharma
• धर्मध्वजिकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मध्वजिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: should become/be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धर्मवाणिजकाः: traders in dharma; those who make dharma a business
• धर्मवाणिजकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मवाणिजक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपभुञ्जते: enjoy/use (for oneself), exploit
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-भुज्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma is inward integrity and consistent conduct, not public display. One should practice righteousness even without social support, and avoid using dharma as a tool for status, profit, or livelihood.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on ethical living and right conduct. Here he warns against performative religiosity (dharmadhvaja) and condemns those who commercialize dharma (dharmavāṇijaka).