Shloka 8

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

अद्वैधज्ञ: पथि द्वैधे संशयं प्राप्तुमहति | बुद्धिद्वेधं वेदितव्यं पुरस्तादेव भारत,एक ही धर्म या कर्म किसी समय धर्म माना जाता है और किसी समय अधर्म। उसकी जो यह दो प्रकारकी स्थिति है, उसीका नाम द्वैध है। जो इस द्विविधतत्त्वको नहीं जानता, वह द्वैधमार्गपर पहुँचकर संशयमें पड़ जाता है। भरतनन्दन! बुद्धिके द्वैधको पहले ही अच्छी तरह समझ लेना चाहिये

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: advaidhajñaḥ pathi dvaidhe saṁśayaṁ prāptum arhati | buddhidvaidhyaṁ veditavyaṁ purastād eva bhārata ||

Translation

అద్వైతతత్త్వాన్ని గ్రహించని వాడు ద్వంద్వ ప్రత్యామ్నాయాల మార్గాన్ని చేరగానే సందేహంలో పడతాడు. కనుక, ఓ భారతా, మనస్సు/బుద్ధి యొక్క ఈ ద్వైధం—చీలిక, ఊగిసలాట—ముందుగానే బాగా గుర్తించి తెలుసుకోవాలి; ఎందుకంటే ఒకే కర్మ ఒక సందర్భంలో ధర్మంగా, మరొక సందర్భంలో అధర్మంగా కనిపించవచ్చు.

Word by Word

अद्वैधज्ञःone who does not know duality (ambiguity)

पथिon the path

द्वैधेin (a state of) duality/ambiguity

संशयम्doubt

प्राप्तुम्to reach/attain

अर्हतिis liable/deserves (to)

बुद्धिद्वेधम्the ambiguity/duality of understanding (intellect)

वेदितव्यम्should be known/understood

पुरस्तात्beforehand, in advance

एवindeed, certainly

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhārata)

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?

Ethical life often presents ‘dvaidhya’—cases where the same act can be judged dharma in one context and adharma in another. If one has not understood this and trained one’s discernment, one will become trapped in doubt at critical moments. Hence Bhishma urges recognizing the intellect’s tendency to waver and preparing clarity beforehand.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhisthira on dharma after the war. Here he warns that practical moral life is not always straightforward; when confronted with conflicting duties, an unprepared person becomes uncertain. Bhishma advises Yudhisthira to understand this duality of judgment in advance.