Shloka 11
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
धर्म यो बाधते धर्मो न स धर्म: कुधर्म तत् अविरोधात् तु यो धर्म: स धर्म: सत्यविक्रम
dharma yo bādhate dharmo na sa dharmaḥ kudharma tat | avirodhāt tu yo dharmaḥ sa dharmaḥ satyavikrama ||
The hawk said: “That which, though called ‘dharma’, obstructs or violates dharma is not truly dharma; it is misdirected conduct. But the dharma that stands without contradiction—consistent with the deeper order of righteousness—that alone is dharma, O Satyavikrama.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A rule or duty is not ‘dharma’ merely by name; if it obstructs or undermines the very purpose of dharma, it becomes kudharma (misguided righteousness). True dharma is that which is internally consistent and does not contradict the fundamental ethical order.
In the Vana Parva’s dialogue context, the hawk (śyena) argues a principle of ethical discernment: actions justified as ‘dharma’ must be tested for coherence with dharma’s deeper aims; otherwise they are condemned as kudharma. The statement is addressed to a figure called Satyavikrama.