Shloka 60

Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances

Devanagari script

शुचेरपि हि युक्तस्य दोष एव निपात्यते । मुनेरपि वनस्थस्य स्वानि कर्माणि कुर्वत:

Transliteration

śucer api hi yuktasya doṣa eva nipātyate | muner api vanasthasya svāni karmāṇi kurvataḥ |

Translation

ビーシュマは語った。清らかで節度ある者であっても、なお過失の名が降りかかることがある。森に住み、自らの定められた務めを誠実に行う牟尼でさえ、非難や不運の及ぶところから完全に免れるわけではない。

Word by Word

शुचेःof a pure (person)

अपिeven/also

हिindeed/for

युक्तस्यof one who is disciplined/engaged (in yoga/right conduct)

दोषःfault/defect

एवonly/just

निपात्यतेis brought down/causes a fall (is made to fall)

मुनेःof a sage

अपिeven/also

वनस्थस्यof one dwelling in the forest

स्वानिone's own

कर्माणिactions/deeds

कुर्वतःof (one) doing/performing

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

muni (sage)

vana (forest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that moral life does not guarantee immunity from fault, blame, or adverse outcomes. Even the pure and self-controlled, even an ascetic faithfully performing svadharma, may still encounter doṣa—highlighting the subtlety of karma and the need for humility and vigilance in ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira by stressing the complexity of righteous living: external purity, discipline, and even forest-ascetic practice do not automatically prevent the arising or attribution of दोष (fault).