Shloka 42
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
पुण्याहवाचने नित्यं धर्मकार्येषु चासकृत् । उत्स्मयन् प्राहसच्चापि दृष्टवा राजा पुरोहितम्
puṇyāhavācane nityaṃ dharmakāryeṣu cāsakṛt | utsmayan prāhasaccāpi dṛṣṭvā rājā purohitam ||
Bhishma said: “When the royal priest would daily perform the auspicious proclamations and repeatedly engage in works of dharma, the king, on seeing him, would sometimes smile and at other times burst into loud laughter.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds proper regard for dharmic practice and its custodians: even when ritual is performed regularly and sincerely, a ruler’s attitude—respectful or mocking—has ethical weight, because it shapes the moral tone of the court and society.
Bhishma describes a scene where the royal priest performs daily auspicious rites and remains engaged in dharma-works; the king watches and alternates between smiling and laughing loudly, implying amusement or derision toward the priest’s religious conduct.