Shloka 6

मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169

Devanagari script

लुब्ध: क्रूरस्त्यक्तरर्मा निकृति: शठ एव च | क्षुद्र पापसमाचार: सर्वशड्की तथालस:

Transliteration

lubdhaḥ krūraḥ tyaktadharmo nikṛtiḥ śaṭha eva ca | kṣudraḥ pāpasamācāraḥ sarvaśaṅkī tathālasaḥ ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «Тот, кто алчен и жесток, кто оставил дхарму, кто лжив и коварен; кто мелочен, привык к греховным поступкам, подозревает всех и ленив,—не годится для союза. И тот, кто постоянно выискивает чужие изъяны, также недостоин заключать договор. Теперь я опишу тех, кто пригоден для союза; слушайте».

Word by Word

• लुब्धः: greedy
• लुब्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रूरः: cruel
• क्रूरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्यक्तधर्मा: one who has abandoned dharma
• त्यक्तधर्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्तधर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निकृतिः: deceit; treachery (deceitful person)
• निकृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकृति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शठः: rogue; knave
• शठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• क्षुद्रः: petty; mean
• क्षुद्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापसमाचारः: of sinful conduct
• पापसमाचारः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापसमाचार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वशङ्की: suspicious of everyone
• सर्वशङ्की: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वशङ्किन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• आलस्यः: lazy; slothful
• आलस्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलस्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that alliances (sandhi) should not be made with people whose character is dominated by greed, cruelty, abandonment of dharma, deceit, petty wickedness, chronic suspicion, and laziness—because such traits make them unreliable and dangerous partners.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira about political prudence: first listing the types of persons to avoid in making pacts, and then transitioning to describe who is suitable for alliance.