Shloka 69

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सद्धि्न वक्तव्यं कस्यचित्‌ किंचिदग्रत: । सूक्ष्मा गतिर्ि धर्मस्य दुर्ज्ञेया ह्कृतात्मभि:

Transliteration

tasmāt saddhiṁ vaktavyaṁ kasyacit kiṁcid agrataḥ | sūkṣmā gatir hi dharmasya durjñeyā hy akṛtātmabhiḥ ||

Translation

Therefore, one should not hastily offer instruction to just anyone in another’s presence. The course of dharma is exceedingly subtle, and for those who have not disciplined and purified their inner self, it is very difficult to discern what dharma truly requires.

Word by Word

• {'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'saddhiṁ (sat + dhiṁ)': 'good counsel

• wholesome instruction (lit. ‘right understanding’)', 'vaktavyam': 'should be spoken

• ought to be said', 'kasyacit': 'to/for someone, to anyone (indefinite)', 'kiṁcit': 'something, any (matter)', 'agrataḥ': 'in front of

• in the presence of', 'sūkṣmā': 'subtle, fine, hard to perceive', 'gatiḥ': 'course, movement, way, true drift', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'dharmasya': 'of dharma

• of righteous duty/law', 'durjñeyā': 'hard to know, difficult to understand', 'akṛtātmabhiḥ': 'by those whose self is not ‘made’/formed—undisciplined, unrefined, not self-controlled'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is subtle and context-sensitive; therefore, moral instruction should be offered with discernment and to receptive, self-disciplined listeners, not indiscriminately or for display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, in his extended counsel on dharma, cautions Yudhishthira that ethical truth is not easily grasped by the undisciplined, so public or indiscriminate preaching can mislead rather than guide.