Shloka 2

Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच दुराचारा दुर्विचिष्टा दुष्प्रज्ञा: प्रियसाहसा: । असंतस्त्विति विख्याता: संतश्षाचारलक्षणा:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca durācārā durviciṣṭā duṣprajñāḥ priyasāhasāḥ | asantastv iti vikhyātāḥ santaś cācāralakṣaṇāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Those who are of bad conduct, whose actions are perverse, whose understanding is misguided, and who delight in reckless audacity—such people become known as ‘the wicked’ (asat). The truly good (sat), however, are recognized by their conduct: right conduct itself is their defining mark.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'durācāra', 'definition': 'bad conduct

• immoral behavior'}, {'term': 'durviciṣṭa', 'definition': 'one of perverse/ill-directed actions

• badly behaved'}, {'term': 'duṣprajña', 'definition': 'of poor judgment

• misguided intellect'}, {'term': 'priya-sāhasa', 'definition': 'fond of rashness

• one who likes reckless daring'}, {'term': 'asat (asantaḥ)', 'definition': 'the wicked

• those lacking goodness'}, {'term': 'iti vikhyāta', 'definition': 'thus known

• so reputed'}, {'term': 'sat (santaḥ)', 'definition': 'the good

• the noble'}, {'term': 'ācāra', 'definition': 'conduct

• customary right practice'}, {'term': 'lakṣaṇa', 'definition': 'mark

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral identity is determined by conduct: the wicked are characterized by corrupt behavior, distorted actions, poor judgment, and love of reckless daring, while the good are defined by consistent right conduct (ācāra) as their distinguishing mark.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira how to discern virtue from vice, offering a practical criterion: observe a person’s conduct, because it reveals whether one is sat (good) or asat (wicked).