Shloka 28
Śulka, Kanyā, and Dauhitra-Riktha: Discourse on Bride-Price and Inheritance Rights (शुल्क-कन्या-दौहित्र-रिक्थविचारः)
एतत् श्र॒त्वा तु विपुलो नापश्यद् धर्मसंकरम् । जन्मप्रभृति कौरव्य कृतपूर्वमथात्मन:,कुरुनन्दन! यह सुनकर विपुलने जन्मसे लेकर वर्तमान समयतकके अपने समस्त कर्मोका स्मरण किया; किंतु कभी कोई धर्मके साथ पापका मिश्रण हुआ हो, ऐसा नहीं दिखायी दिया
etat śrutvā tu vipulo nāpaśyad dharma-saṅkaram | janma-prabhṛti kauravya kṛta-pūrvam athātmanaḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: „Als er dies hörte, prüfte Vipula sein eigenes Verhalten von der Geburt an, o Spross der Kurus. Doch er vermochte in sich nirgends eine ‚Verwirrung des Dharma‘ zu erkennen — keine Beimischung von Sünde zu dem, was rechtens sein sollte.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical self-audit: one should examine one’s life and actions to see whether apparent righteousness is tainted by wrongdoing. True dharma is not merely outward conformity but inner clarity free from ‘dharma-saṅkara’ (moral mixing/confusion).
After hearing a statement or instruction, Vipula reflects on his entire past conduct from birth. He searches for any instance where his actions involved a compromised or mixed dharma, but he finds no such moral blemish in himself.