Shloka 18

Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)

Devanagari script

पापाचार: पापकर्मा पापात्मा पापसाधन:

Transliteration

pāpācāraḥ pāpakarmā pāpātmā pāpasādhanaḥ

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Aquele cuja conduta é pecaminosa, cujas ações são pecaminosas, cuja natureza interior é pecaminosa, e que emprega meios pecaminosos (como instrumentos e recursos).”

Word by Word

• पापाचारः: one whose conduct is sinful
• पापाचारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापाचार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापकर्मा: one whose actions are sinful
• पापकर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापात्मा: one of sinful nature/soul
• पापात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापसाधनः: one who employs sinful means; a doer using sinful instruments
• पापसाधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापसाधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma classifies wrongdoing as a comprehensive moral condition: sin can pervade one’s outward conduct (ācāra), concrete deeds (karma), inner disposition (ātmā), and even the chosen methods or instruments (sādhana). Ethical life therefore requires purity not only of results but also of character and means.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is describing a type of person marked by pervasive pāpa—someone whose behavior, actions, inner nature, and practical methods are all aligned with adharma—likely as part of a broader discussion distinguishing virtuous and non-virtuous traits.