Shloka 26

Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः

Devanagari script

धननाशाद्‌ दुःखतरं जीवितादू विप्रयोजनम्‌ | अयं ते रोचतां धर्म इति वाच्य: प्रयत्नत:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | dhananāśād duḥkhataraṃ jīvitād viprayojanam | ayaṃ te rocatāṃ dharma iti vācyaḥ prayatnataḥ |

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Plus douloureuse que la perte des richesses est la séparation d’avec la vie elle-même — l’arrachement de la vie. Aussi, que le dharma soit ce que tu chéris. Cet enseignement — “Que le dharma soit ta joie choisie” — doit être porté aux méchants avec un effort réfléchi, afin de les instruire et de les contenir.»

Word by Word

• {'dhananāśa': 'loss or destruction of wealth', 'duḥkhatara': 'more painful, more grievous', 'jīvitāt': 'than life (ablative of jīvita)', 'viprayojanam': 'separation, disunion

• here, severance from life (killing)', 'ayam': 'this (teaching/point)', 'te': 'to you

• for you', 'rocatām': 'may it please

• may it be agreeable/attractive', 'dharma': 'righteous duty, moral law, ethical order', 'iti': 'thus

• in these words', 'vācyaḥ': 'should be said/told

• to be communicated', 'prayatnataḥ': 'with effort, carefully, deliberately'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma ranks harms: taking life is a graver and more painful wrong than taking wealth. Hence one should cultivate delight in dharma and actively teach this restraint, especially to wrongdoers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Bhīṣma advises the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira) to promote dharma by clearly and persistently admonishing the wicked, emphasizing that violence against life is the most grievous injury.