Shloka 62

Devanagari script

मूर्खाणां पण्डिता द्वेष्या दरिद्राणां महाधना: । अधार्मिकाणां धर्मिष्ठा विरूपाणां सुरूपिण:,“'लोभी लोग निर्लोभीसे, कायर बलवानोंसे, मूर्ख विद्वानोंसे, दरिद्र बड़े-बड़े धनियोंसे, पापाचारी धर्मात्माओंसे और कुरूप सुन्दर रूपवालोंसे द्वेष करते हैं

Transliteration

mūrkhāṇāṃ paṇḍitā dveṣyā daridrāṇāṃ mahādhanāḥ | adhārmikāṇāṃ dharmiṣṭhā virūpāṇāṃ surūpiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma ensina que o ressentimento muitas vezes não nasce de uma ofensa, mas do contraste: os tolos passam a odiar os sábios, os pobres ressentem-se dos riquíssimos, os injustos não suportam os firmemente justos, e os feios invejam os belos. O verso expõe uma fraqueza moral — a inveja e a aversão à excelência — e sugere que se deve guardar-se dessa hostilidade dentro de si e reconhecê-la na sociedade sem se afastar do dharma.

Word by Word

मूर्खाणाम्of fools

पण्डिताःthe learned (men)

द्वेष्याःhated / objects of hatred

दरिद्राणाम्of the poor

महाधनाःthe very wealthy (lit. those having great wealth)

अधार्मिकाणाम्of the unrighteous

धर्मिष्ठाःmost righteous / very virtuous

विरूपाणाम्of the ugly / ill-formed

सुरूपिणःthe handsome / well-formed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that envy-driven hatred commonly targets those who embody what one lacks—wisdom, wealth, righteousness, or beauty. It warns that such aversion is a moral failing and encourages steadiness in dharma rather than resentment toward excellence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct after the war. Here he offers an observation about human tendencies—how certain groups habitually resent their opposites—to help the king understand social behavior and ethical pitfalls.