Shloka 18
Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications
अन्तःक्रूरा वाड्मधुरा: कूपाश्छन्नास्तृणैरिव । धर्मवैतंसिका: क्षुद्रा मुष्णन्ति ध्वजिनो जगत्
antaḥkrūrā vāṅmadhurāḥ kūpāś channās tṛṇair iva | dharmavaitāṃsikāḥ kṣudrā muṣṇanti dhvajino jagat ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Certains sont cruels au-dedans et doux dans leurs paroles. Ils sont comme des puits dissimulés sous l’herbe. De petits hommes qui marchandent le nom du dharma—portant l’étendard de la justice—trompent le monde et le pillent.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer piety and pleasant speech can mask inner cruelty; those who brandish ‘dharma’ as a public banner while lacking integrity become dangerous to society, exploiting trust and robbing others under a moral pretext.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and governance. Here he warns against dharma-pretenders—people who appear virtuous but are inwardly harmful—using the image of a grass-covered well to show concealed danger.