Shloka 73

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

Devanagari script

विमृश्य तस्मात्‌ प्राज्ञेन वक्तव्यं धर्ममिच्छता । सत्यानृतेन हि कृत उपदेशो हिनस्ति हि

Transliteration

vimṛśya tasmāt prājñena vaktavyaṁ dharmam icchatā | satyānṛtena hi kṛta upadeśo hinasti hi ||

Translation

Therefore, one who is wise and seeks to uphold dharma should speak only after careful reflection. For instruction delivered through speech that mixes truth with falsehood becomes harmful.

Word by Word

• {'vimṛśya': 'having reflected, after careful consideration', 'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'prājñena': 'by a wise person

• by one endowed with discernment', 'vaktavyam': 'should be spoken

• ought to be said', 'dharmaṁ icchatā': 'by one desiring dharma

• by one who seeks righteousness', 'satya': 'truth', 'anṛta': 'falsehood, untruth', 'satyānṛtena': 'with truth-and-falsehood mixed

• by a blend of truth and untruth', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'kṛtaḥ': 'made, done, delivered', 'upadeśaḥ': 'instruction, counsel, teaching', 'hinasti': 'harms, injures, ruins'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A seeker of dharma must speak with discernment and only after reflection; counsel that blends truth with falsehood may mislead and thus becomes ethically harmful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma, emphasizing the responsibility of the wise to use speech carefully, warning that even ‘teaching’ can cause damage if it is not grounded in truth.