Shloka 7
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
यथा धर्मसमाविष्टो धनं गृह्नाति तस्कर: । रमते निर्हरन् स्तेन: परवित्तमराजके
yathā dharma-samāviṣṭo dhanaṁ gṛhṇāti taskaraḥ | ramate nirharan stenaḥ para-vittam arājake ||
Sebagaimana seorang pencuri, meski tampak larut dalam ‘tugas yang benar’, tetap saja merampas harta orang lain; dan dalam keadaan tanpa pemerintahan, perampok yang mengangkut harta milik orang lain bahkan merasakan kesenangan—demikian pula, klaim dharma di permukaan saja tidak mencegah kejahatan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that mere outward association with dharma does not prevent unethical acts; when political authority and social restraint collapse (arājaka), people may even take pleasure in violating others’ rights, such as stealing property.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva on governance and social order, he uses the example of thieves in a lawless situation to illustrate how anarchy enables and normalizes wrongdoing, undermining dharma in practice.