Shloka 39

Devanagari script

विश्वस्तवदविश्व॒स्तस्तेषु वर्तेत सर्वदा । न हि दोषो गुणो वेति निरूप्यस्तेषु दृश्यते,उनपर विश्वास तो न करे; परंतु विश्वास करनेवालेकी ही भाँति सदा उनके साथ बर्ताव करे। उनमें दोष है या गुण इसका निर्णय करनेकी आवश्यकता नहीं दिखायी देती है

Transliteration

viśvastavad aviśvastas teṣu varteta sarvadā | na hi doṣo guṇo veti nirūpyas teṣu dṛśyate ||

Translation

Dijo Bhīṣma: No debe uno depositar en ellos una confianza verdadera; y, sin embargo, debe conducirse siempre con ellos como si confiara. Pues, en su caso, no parece necesario—ni siquiera posible—fijar un juicio definitivo de que sean por completo culpables o por completo virtuosos.

Word by Word

विश्वस्तवत्like one who trusts

अविश्वस्तःone who does not trust; distrustful

तेषुin/among them

वर्तेतshould behave; should conduct oneself

सर्वदाalways

नnot

हिindeed; for

दोषःfault; defect

गुणःquality; virtue

वाor

इतिthus

निरूप्यःto be determined; needing ascertainment

तेषुin/among them

दृश्यतेis seen; appears

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Maintain prudent caution internally, but preserve outward civility and steady conduct. Do not rush to label people as purely virtuous or purely flawed; instead, act with measured restraint and consistent propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and practical statecraft. Here he offers guidance on how to deal with uncertain or mixed-character persons: be wary in trust, yet behave in a composed, non-provocative manner.