Shloka 8
Kṛṣṇasya Karṇam Prati Sāntvavacana
Kṛṣṇa’s Conciliatory Address to Karṇa
वार्यमाणो$पि पापेभ्य: पापात्मा पापमिच्छति । चोद्यमानो5पि पापेन शुभात्मा शुभमिच्छति
vāryamāṇo 'pi pāpebhyaḥ pāpātmā pāpam icchati | codyamāno 'pi pāpena śubhātmā śubham icchati ||
Bhishma berkata: “Walau dihalang daripada perbuatan dosa, orang yang berhati dosa tetap menginginkan dosa. Dan walau didorong kepada dosa oleh si pendosa, orang yang berjiwa baik tetap menginginkan yang baik semata-mata.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s inner disposition governs moral choice: the wicked tend toward wrongdoing even when checked, while the virtuous tend toward good even when tempted or pressured toward sin.
Bhīṣma is instructing on dharma and human nature during the Udyoga Parva context, emphasizing that external restraint or provocation is secondary to one’s ingrained character (pāpātmā vs. śubhātmā).