Shloka 25
Adhyāya 174: Karma as an inescapable companion (कर्मानुगमन-उपदेश)
एष धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ प्रोक्त: पापो मया तव । मित्रद्रोही कृतघ्नो वै कि भूय: श्रोतुमिच्छसि
eṣa dharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha proktaḥ pāpo mayā tava | mitradrohī kṛtaghno vai kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara para penegak dharma, telah kujelaskan kepadamu orang berdosa itu—yang mengkhianati sahabat dan tidak tahu berterima kasih. Apa lagi yang ingin kau dengar?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma underscores that betraying a friend (mitradroha) and being ungrateful (kṛtaghnatā) are grave ethical faults; such a person is to be recognized as pāpa (sinful), standing opposed to dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma concludes a description of the character of a sinful man—specifically one who harms friends and repays kindness with wrongdoing—and then asks what further topic Yudhiṣṭhira wishes to hear.