Shloka 77

Devanagari script

आरम्भोन्याययुक्तो य: स हि धर्म इति स्मृत: । अनाचारस्त्वधर्मेति एतच्छिष्टानुशासनम्‌,“जो आरम्भ न्याययुक्त हो, वही धर्म कहा गया है। इसके विपरीत जो अनाचार है, वह अधर्म है'--ऐसा शिष्ट पुरुषोंका कथन है

Transliteration

ārambho nyāya-yukto yaḥ sa hi dharma iti smṛtaḥ | anācāras tv adharma iti etac chiṣṭānuśāsanam ||

Translation

The hunter said: “That undertaking whose very beginning is aligned with justice is remembered as dharma. But conduct that departs from right practice is adharma—this is the instruction handed down by the cultured and disciplined.”

Word by Word

आरम्भःundertaking; beginning (of an act)

न्याययुक्तःendowed with justice; in accordance with right

यःwhich; whoever

सःthat; he/that (correlative)

हिindeed; for

धर्मःdharma; righteousness

इतिthus (quotative)

स्मृतःis remembered/considered (as)

अनाचारःmisconduct; improper practice

तुbut; however

अधर्मःunrighteousness; adharma

इतिthus (quotative)

एतत्this

शिष्टानुशासनम्instruction/teaching of the learned (the cultured)

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

vyādha (the hunter, speaker)

śiṣṭāḥ (the cultured/exemplary authorities, as a collective)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is identified not merely by outward results but by the justice and propriety present from the very start of an action; actions rooted in nyāya are dharma, while deviation into anācāra is adharma, as affirmed by the exemplary tradition (śiṣṭānuśāsana).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva’s dialogue, the hunter (vyādha) instructs the listener on ethical discernment, defining dharma through the criterion of a just and proper beginning and contrasting it with adharma as improper conduct, citing the authority of cultured elders.