Shloka 28
Śulka, Kanyā, and Dauhitra-Riktha: Discourse on Bride-Price and Inheritance Rights (शुल्क-कन्या-दौहित्र-रिक्थविचारः)
एतत् श्र॒त्वा तु विपुलो नापश्यद् धर्मसंकरम् । जन्मप्रभृति कौरव्य कृतपूर्वमथात्मन:
etat śrutvā tu vipulo nāpaśyad dharma-saṅkaram | janma-prabhṛti kauravya kṛta-pūrvam athātmanaḥ ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಕೌರವಕುಲಜನೇ! ಇದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ವಿಪುಲನು ಜನ್ಮದಿಂದ ಇಂದಿನವರೆಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಕೃತಕರ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿದನು; ಆದರೆ ತನ್ನೊಳಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಧರ್ಮಸಂಕರ—ಅಂದರೆ ಧರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಪದ ಮಿಶ್ರಣ—ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿಲ್ಲ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical self-audit: one should examine one’s life and actions to see whether apparent righteousness is tainted by wrongdoing. True dharma is not merely outward conformity but inner clarity free from ‘dharma-saṅkara’ (moral mixing/confusion).
After hearing a statement or instruction, Vipula reflects on his entire past conduct from birth. He searches for any instance where his actions involved a compromised or mixed dharma, but he finds no such moral blemish in himself.