Shloka 7
Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications
सर्वभूतेष्वभिद्रोह: सर्वभूतेष्वसत्कृति: । सर्वभूतेष्वविश्वास: सर्वभूतेष्वनार्जवम्
bhīṣma uvāca | sarvabhūteṣv abhidrohaḥ sarvabhūteṣv asatkṛtiḥ | sarvabhūteṣv aviśvāsaḥ sarvabhūteṣv anārjavam |
Bhishma said: Hostility toward all beings, disrespect toward all beings, distrust toward all beings, and crookedness in one’s dealings with all beings—these are the marks of a degraded disposition, opposed to dharma and destructive of right conduct.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma identifies universal ill-will—harmfulness, contempt, suspicion, and deceit toward all beings—as fundamentally adharma. Ethical life begins with non-hostility and straightforward, respectful conduct toward everyone.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma after the war. Here he lists traits that signal moral decline, emphasizing how one’s attitude and behavior toward all beings reveals one’s inner character.