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Shloka 32

Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)

अधर्मरूपो धर्मो हि कश्चिदस्ति नराधिप । धर्मश्चाधर्मरूपो5स्ति तच्च ज्ञेयं विपक्षिता,नरेश्वर! किसी समय धर्म ही अधर्मरूप हो जाता है और कहीं अधर्मरूप दीखनेवाला कर्म ही धर्म बन जाता है; इसलिये विद्वान्‌ पुरुषको धर्म और अधर्मका रहस्य अच्छी तरह समझ लेना चाहिये

adharmarūpo dharmo hi kaścid asti narādhipa | dharmaś cādharmarūpo 'sti tac ca jñeyaṃ vipakṣitā ||

ພຣະວະຍາສະກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ! ມີບາງການກໍລະນີທີ່ສິ່ງທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ທັມມະ’ ກັບປາກົດເປັນຮູບແບບຂອງ ‘ອະທັມມະ’; ແລະກໍມີບາງກໍລະນີທີ່ສິ່ງທີ່ເບິ່ງຄືອະທັມມະ ແທ້ຈິງແມ່ນທັມມະ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ຜູ້ປົກຄອງມະນຸດ, ຈົ່ງພິຈາລະນາໃຫ້ລະອຽດ ເພື່ອຮູ້ທັມມະ ແລະ ອະທັມມະ ຕາມຄວາມໝາຍແທ້ ໃນການຕໍ່ຕ້ານຕາມບໍລິບົດ.»

अधर्मरूपःhaving the form of adharma (unrighteousness)
अधर्मरूपः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअधर्म-रूप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्मःdharma; righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed; for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
कश्चित्someone; a certain (one)
कश्चित्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootकश्चित्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अस्तिis; exists
अस्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
नराधिपO king (lord of men)
नराधिप:
TypeNoun
Rootनर-अधिप
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
धर्मःdharma; righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अधर्मरूपःhaving the form of adharma
अधर्मरूपः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअधर्म-रूप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अस्तिis; exists
अस्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
तत्that; this (fact)
तत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
ज्ञेयम्to be known; should be understood
ज्ञेयम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootज्ञा
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular, Gerundive (तव्य/यत् sense), passive necessity
विपक्षितात्from opposition/contrariety; by considering the opposite side
विपक्षितात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootविपक्षिता
FormFeminine, Ablative, Singular
नरेश्वरO lord of men; O king
नरेश्वर:
TypeNoun
Rootनर-ईश्वर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa
N
narādhipa (the king addressed)
N
nareśvara (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

Dharma is subtle and context-dependent: actions labeled ‘dharma’ can become harmful or unrighteous in certain circumstances, while actions that look unrighteous may be justified as dharma. Therefore one must judge with careful discernment rather than by rigid labels.

Vyāsa is instructing a king in the Śānti Parva’s ethical discourse, emphasizing that the ruler must understand the nuanced boundary between dharma and adharma when making decisions that affect society.