Shloka 196
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
Devanagari script
संक्षेपो नीतिशास्त्राणामविश्वास: परो मत:
Transliteration
saṅkṣepo nītiśāstrāṇām aviśvāsaḥ paro mataḥ
Translation
संक्षेपो नीतिशास्त्राणामविश्वासः परो मतः॥
Word by Word
संक्षेपःsummary, brevity
संक्षेपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंक्षेप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नीतिशास्त्राणाम्of the treatises on polity/ethics
नीतिशास्त्राणाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनीतिशास्त्र
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
अविश्वासःdistrust, lack of trust
अविश्वासः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअविश्वास
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
परःsupreme, highest
परः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मतःconsidered, held (to be)
मतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
लोमश उवाच
Characters & Entities
ल
लोमश (Lomaśa)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse condenses nīti (practical ethics/statecraft) into a single maxim: the safest and most effective policy is cautious non-trust—maintaining vigilance and not relying blindly on others.
Within Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Lomaśa delivers a compact aphorism, presenting what he calls the supreme conclusion of nītiśāstra: a ruler or prudent person should remain guarded and not be credulous.