Shloka 8

Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda: Aśuddha-Sevana, Guṇa-Dr̥ṣṭi, and Sāṃkhya–Yoga Ekārthatā

Mahābhārata 12.293

Devanagari script

धर्मादपेतं यत्‌ कर्म यद्यपि स्यान्महाफलम्‌ | न तत्‌ सेवेत मेधावी न तद्धितमिहोच्यते

Transliteration

dharmād apetaṃ yat karma yady api syān mahāphalam | na tat seveta medhāvī na tad dhitam ihocyate ||

Translation

ಧರ್ಮದಿಂದ ತಪ್ಪಿದ ಕರ್ಮವು ಲೋಕದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಾಫಲ ನೀಡುವಂತಿದ್ದರೂ, ಮೇಧಾವಿಯು ಅದನ್ನು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಬಾರದು; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಅಂಥ ಕರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಜವಾದ ಹಿತಕರವೆಂದು ಹೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• धर्मात्: from dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अपेतम्: departed from, fallen away from
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपि-इ (अपेत)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यत्: which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: act, deed
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• अपि: even, although
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• स्यात्: might be, could be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महा-फलम्: having great fruit; very beneficial (in result)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्: that (deed)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सेवेत: should resort to, should practice
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• मेधावी: a wise man
• मेधावी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधाविन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हितम्: beneficial, wholesome
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• उच्यते: is said, is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Karmani (Passive)

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not choose actions that violate dharma, even when they promise large worldly gains; true welfare (hita) is inseparable from righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, the sage Parāśara delivers a moral instruction: apparent success or profit cannot justify conduct that departs from dharma.