Shloka 9

Adhyāya 272: Vṛtrasya Dharmiṣṭhatā, Indrasya Mohaḥ, Vasiṣṭha-upadeśaḥ

Vṛtra’s dharmic stature; Indra’s disorientation; Vasiṣṭha’s counsel

Devanagari script

अधर्मस्त्रिविधस्तस्य वर्धते रागमोहज:

Transliteration

adharmas trividhas tasya vardhate rāga-moha-jaḥ

Translation

അവനിൽ രാഗമോഹജന്യമായ ത്രിവിധ അധർമ്മം വർധിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अधर्मः: unrighteousness, adharma
• अधर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिविधः: threefold
• त्रिविधः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वर्धते: grows, increases
• वर्धते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• रागमोहजः: born of passion and delusion
• रागमोहजः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राग-मोह-ज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Adharma does not arise randomly; it is generated by inner forces—especially attachment (rāga) and delusion (moha). When these dominate, unrighteous conduct multiplies and takes several forms, so ethical life requires mastery over desire and confusion.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his counsel on dharma and right conduct, diagnosing how moral decline occurs: a person’s adharma grows, and its root is the psychological pair of rāga and moha.