Shloka 20

Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः

Devanagari script

परेषां सिद्धिमाकांक्षन्‌ नीच: स्याद्‌ धर्मभिक्षुक:

Transliteration

pareṣāṁ siddhim ākāṅkṣan nīcaḥ syād dharmabhikṣukaḥ

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “One who longs for the success or spiritual attainment of others, while himself remaining base in conduct, becomes a beggar of dharma—seeking merit as alms rather than earning it through his own righteous discipline.”

Word by Word

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सिद्धिम्: success, attainment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आकाङ्क्षन्: desiring, wishing for
• आकाङ्क्षन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आकाङ्क्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नीचः: base, low-minded (person)
• नीचः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd, Singular

• धर्मभिक्षुकः: a beggar in the name of dharma; one who begs citing righteousness
• धर्मभिक्षुकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मभिक्षुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merit and righteousness are not to be sought indirectly by envying or craving others’ attainments; without personal integrity and practice, such desire turns one into a ‘beggar of dharma’—dependent on borrowed virtue rather than earned character.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical conduct, warning against ignoble inner motives—especially the tendency to covet others’ accomplishments instead of cultivating one’s own righteous discipline.