Shloka 136

उपवासविधि-प्रश्नः

Inquiry into the Discipline of Fasting

Devanagari script

धर्म हि श्रेय इत्याहुरिति धर्मविदो जना: । बड़ा भाई अच्छा काम करनेवाला हो या बुरा, छोटेको उसका अपमान नहीं करना चाहिये। इसी तरह यदि स्त्री अथवा छोटे भाई बुरे रास्तेपर चल रहे हों तो श्रेष्ठ पुरुषको जिस तरहसे भी उनकी भलाई हो, वही उपाय करना चाहिये। धर्मज्ञ पुरुषोंका कहना है कि धर्म ही कल्याणका सर्वश्रेष्ठ साधन है

Transliteration

dharma hi śreya ity āhur iti dharmavido janāḥ |

Translation

Bhishma said: Those who know dharma declare, “Dharma itself is the highest good.” Therefore, even if an elder brother acts well or badly, a younger one should not insult him. Likewise, if a wife or a younger brother has strayed onto a wrongful path, a superior person should adopt whatever means truly leads them to welfare and correction—because dharma is taught as the foremost instrument of well-being.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'dharma', 'definition': 'righteous duty

• conduct that sustains social and spiritual well-being'}, {'term': 'hi', 'definition': 'indeed

• certainly (emphatic particle)'}, {'term': 'śreyas (śreyaḥ)', 'definition': 'the highest good

• what is ultimately beneficial'}, {'term': 'iti', 'definition': 'thus

• so (quotative particle)'}, {'term': 'āhuḥ', 'definition': 'they say

• they declare (3rd person plural perfect of √ah)'}, {'term': 'dharmavidaḥ', 'definition': 'knowers of dharma

• those learned in righteous conduct'}, {'term': 'janāḥ', 'definition': 'people

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma