Shloka 83
Adhyāya 272: Vṛtrasya Dharmiṣṭhatā, Indrasya Mohaḥ, Vasiṣṭha-upadeśaḥ
Vṛtra’s dharmic stature; Indra’s disorientation; Vasiṣṭha’s counsel
उत्तर न्यायसम्बद्धं ब्रवीति विधिचोदितम् । कुरुनन्दन! वह कोई बहाना लेकर ही धर्म करता है
uttaraṃ nyāya-sambaddhaṃ bravīti vidhi-coditam | kuru-nandana! sa kaścid vyājaṃ kṛtvāiva dharmaṃ karoti, kapaṭenaiva dhana-sampādane ruciṃ dhatte; yadi ca kapaṭena dhanaṃ prāpya siddhiṃ labhate, tadā tasminn eva sarvāṃ buddhiṃ niveśayati | bharata-nandana! tataḥ paṇḍitaiḥ suhṛdbhiś ca nivāryamāṇo 'pi kevalaṃ pāpam eva kartum icchati, nivārayitṝṇāṃ ca dharma-śāstra-vākyaiḥ pratipāditaṃ nyāyopapannaṃ uttaraṃ dadāti |
ビーシュマは言った。「クル族の誉れよ、そのような者は、あたかも正義にかなうかのように語り、規定の命ずるところさえ引き合いに出す。彼が“ダルマ”を行うのは、まず何らかの口実を作り上げてからであり、欺きによって財を得ることに心を惹かれる。もし詐欺で富を得ることに成功すれば、彼はその道にこそ全ての知恵を注ぎ込む。おお、バーラタの裔よ、その後は—学者や善意の友がいくら諫めても—ただ罪を犯すことだけを望み、止める者には、ダルマシャーストラの文句そのものを継ぎ合わせて“もっともらしい”返答をするのである。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that a morally compromised person can cloak wrongdoing in the language of justice and even cite dharmaśāstra to rationalize deceit. Success in fraudulent gain strengthens the habit, and the person becomes resistant to correction, using clever ‘scriptural’ arguments to defend sin.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma describes a character-type: someone who performs ‘dharma’ only as a pretext, pursues wealth through fraud, and—when admonished by wise friends—persists in wrongdoing while offering seemingly reasoned, text-backed replies.