Shloka 73
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
Devanagari script
विमृश्य तस्मात् प्राज्ञेन वक्तव्यं धर्ममिच्छता । सत्यानृतेन हि कृत उपदेशो हिनस्ति हि
Transliteration
vimṛśya tasmāt prājñena vaktavyaṁ dharmam icchatā | satyānṛtena hi kṛta upadeśo hinasti hi ||
Translation
ゆえに、ダルマを求め守ろうとする賢者は、熟慮ののちにのみ語るべきである。真と偽とを交えた言葉による教えは、害をなすからである。
Word by Word
{'vimṛśya''having reflected, after careful consideration', 'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'prājñena': 'by a wise person
{'vimṛśya':
by one endowed with discernment', 'vaktavyam''should be spoken
by one endowed with discernment', 'vaktavyam':
ought to be said', 'dharmaṁ icchatā''by one desiring dharma
ought to be said', 'dharmaṁ icchatā':
by one who seeks righteousness', 'satya''truth', 'anṛta': 'falsehood, untruth', 'satyānṛtena': 'with truth-and-falsehood mixed
by one who seeks righteousness', 'satya':
by a blend of truth and untruth', 'hi''indeed, for', 'kṛtaḥ': 'made, done, delivered', 'upadeśaḥ': 'instruction, counsel, teaching', 'hinasti': 'harms, injures, ruins'}
by a blend of truth and untruth', 'hi':
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaDharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Educational Q&A
A seeker of dharma must speak with discernment and only after reflection; counsel that blends truth with falsehood may mislead and thus becomes ethically harmful.
Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma, emphasizing the responsibility of the wise to use speech carefully, warning that even ‘teaching’ can cause damage if it is not grounded in truth.