Shloka 26

Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra

Devanagari script

ह्ृदयं पापवृत्तानां पापमाख्याति वैकृतम्‌ । ज्ञानपूर्व विनश्यन्ति गूहमाना महाजने,पापियोंका हृदय तथा उनके नेत्र और मुख आदिका विकार ही उनके पापोंको बता देता है। जो लोग जान-बूझकर किये हुए पापको महापुरुषोंसे छिपाते हैं, वे गिर जाते हैं

Transliteration

hṛdayaṃ pāpavṛttānāṃ pāpam ākhyāti vaikṛtam | jñānapūrvaṃ vinaśyanti gūhamānā mahājane ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Das eigene Herz derer, die im Sündhaften leben — zusammen mit den Entstellungen, die an ihrem Zustand sichtbar werden — verrät ihr Unrecht. Wer wissentlich Sünde begeht und sie dann vor den Großen und Guten zu verbergen sucht, geht zugrunde.

Word by Word

हृदयम्heart

पापवृत्तानाम्of those of sinful conduct

पापम्sin

आख्यातिdeclares, reveals

वैकृतम्deformed, abnormal (state)

वैindeed

ज्ञानपूर्वम्knowingly, deliberately

विनश्यन्तिperish, fall, come to ruin

गूहमानाḥhiding, concealing

महाजनेamong the great people / before the public

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sin is not easily hidden: a person’s inner disposition and outward distortions in behavior or condition tend to reveal wrongdoing. Deliberate sin compounded by concealment—especially from the wise and virtuous—leads to downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma advises about moral causality: he warns that the sinful are exposed by their own inner state and that knowingly hiding sin from respected elders or the righteous results in ruin.