Shloka 22

Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः

Devanagari script

च्युत: सदैव धर्मेभ्योडमानवं धर्ममास्थित:,धनमित्येव पापानां सर्वेषामिह निश्चय: । जो दुष्ट धर्ममार्गसे भ्रष्ट होकर आसुरी प्रवृत्तिमें लगा रहता है और स्वधर्मका परित्याग करके पापसे जीविका चलाना चाहता है, कपटसे जीवन-निर्वाह करनेवाले उस पापात्माको सभी उपायोंसे मार डालना चाहिये; क्योंकि सभी पापात्माओंका यही विचार रहता है कि जैसे बने, वैसे धनको लूट-खसोट कर रख लिया जाय

Transliteration

cyutaḥ sadaiva dharmebhyo dānavam dharmam āsthitaḥ | dhanam ityeva pāpānāṃ sarveṣām iha niścayaḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ధర్మం నుండి చ్యుతుడై నిత్యం అధర్మాన్నే ఆశ్రయించి ఆసురీ ప్రవృత్తిలో నిలిచిన పాపుల నిశ్చయం ఈ లోకంలో ఒక్కటే—“ధనం, ధనమే.”

Word by Word

च्युतःfallen, deviated

सदाalways

एवindeed, just

धर्मेभ्यःfrom (all) dharmas / duties

उदमानवम्one who is not truly human / inhuman-minded

धर्मम्dharma, righteous conduct

आस्थितःhaving resorted to / adhering to

धनम्wealth

इतिthus (quotative)

एवalone, only

पापानाम्of sinners / of the wicked

सर्वेषाम्of all

इहhere (in this world / in this matter)

निश्चयःconviction, fixed idea

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a person abandons dharma and adopts an asuric disposition, their thinking collapses into a single aim—acquiring wealth—so ethical restraints no longer guide their actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Bhishma characterizes the mindset of the wicked: they depart from dharma and become driven solely by the pursuit of wealth.