Shloka 12

Kośa-saṃjanana and Subtle Dharma

Treasury Formation and Fine-Grained Ethics

Devanagari script

एकान्ततो हाामर्यादात्‌ सर्वोडप्युद्धिजते जन: । दस्यवो<प्यभिशड्कन्ते निरनुक्रोशकारिण:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | ekāntato hy āmaryādāt sarvo 'py udvijate janaḥ | dasyavo 'py abhiśaṅkante niranukrośakāriṇaḥ, bhārata |

Translation

भीष्म ने कहा—हे भारत! जो मनुष्य सर्वथा मर्यादाशून्य है, उससे सब लोग उद्विग्न हो उठते हैं। जो केवल निरनुक्रोश (निर्दय) कर्म करता है, उससे डाकू भी शंकित और भयभीत रहते हैं; क्योंकि असीम क्रूरता दुष्टों सहित सबके लिए भय का कारण बनती है।

Word by Word

• {'ekāntataḥ': 'entirely, absolutely', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'āmaryādāt (a-maryādāt)': 'from one who is without maryādā (limits, propriety, social restraint)', 'sarvaḥ api': 'everyone, all people', 'udvijate': 'is agitated, becomes uneasy, is alarmed', 'janaḥ': 'people, the public', 'dasyavaḥ': 'robbers, bandits', 'api': 'even', 'abhiśaṅkante': 'suspect, fear, are apprehensive of', 'niranukrośa-kāriṇaḥ': 'of one who acts without compassion

• a doer of merciless deeds', 'bhārata': 'O Bharata (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Bharata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• dasyavaḥ (robbers/bandits)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person who abandons maryādā—ethical limits, restraint, and social propriety—creates fear everywhere; unbounded cruelty is so destabilizing that even criminals distrust and fear such a person.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma explains principles of conduct and governance, warning that lawless, compassionless behavior makes society insecure and undermines trust at every level.