Shloka 9
उभावेतौ समफलौ समदोषौ च भारत । अज्ञानं चातिलोभश्षाप्येकं जानीहि पार्थिव,भारत! पृथ्वीनाथ! अज्ञान और अत्यन्त लोभ--इन दोनोंको एक समझो, क्योंकि इनके परिणाम और दोष समान ही हैं
ubhāv etau samaphalau samadoṣau ca bhārata | ajñānaṃ cātilobhaś cāpy ekaṃ jānīhi pārthiva ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Bharata, ketidaktahuan dan kerakusan yang berlebihan—keduanya sama dalam buahnya dan sama pula dalam cacatnya. Karena itu, wahai raja, pahamilah keduanya sebagai satu, sebab keduanya menuntun pada kejatuhan dan akibat yang serupa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that ignorance (ajñāna) and excessive greed (atilobha) are effectively the same in ethical terms: both produce comparable harmful outcomes and carry similar moral defects, so a ruler should treat them as one root problem to be overcome.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to the king after the war, Bhishma continues his counsel on righteous conduct and governance, warning that inner vices—especially ignorance and greed—undermine judgment and lead to the same destructive consequences.