Shloka 116

Devanagari script

असतां विपरीता तु लक्ष्यते भरतर्षभ । “भरतश्रेष्ठ) इस जगतमें सत्पुरुषोंका व्यवहार धर्म और अर्थसे युक्त देखा जाता है और दुष्टोंका बर्ताव ठीक इसके विपरीत दृष्टिगोचर होता है

Transliteration

asatāṁ viparītā tu lakṣyate bharatarṣabha |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô taureau parmi les Bhārata, la conduite des méchants se montre comme l’exact contraire (de celle des bons). En ce monde, le comportement des vertueux s’accorde au dharma et à l’artha, tandis que celui des esprits mauvais s’y oppose.»

Word by Word

असताम्of the wicked / of the non-virtuous

विपरीताopposite, contrary

तुbut, however

लक्ष्यतेis seen / is observed

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharatarṣabha (addressed person, epithet)

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?

The verse contrasts moral orientations: the virtuous naturally act in ways consistent with dharma (right order, duty) and artha (legitimate welfare), while the wicked characteristically act in the opposite direction—undermining both ethical order and proper worldly aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events of the Udyoga Parva, makes a general ethical observation to frame human behavior: good people’s actions harmonize with dharma and artha, whereas the conduct of the wicked is recognizably contrary—setting the moral lens through which ensuing choices and conflicts are to be judged.