Shloka 12

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

आजिजीविषवो विद्यां यश:कामौ समन्तत:ः । ते सर्वे नृप पापिष्ठा धर्मस्य परिपन्थिन:,नरेश्वरर जो जीविकाकी इच्छासे विद्याका उपार्जन करते हैं, सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें उसी विद्याके बलसे यश पानेकी इच्छा और मनोवांछित पदार्थोंको प्राप्त करनेकी अभिलाषा रखते हैं, वे सभी पापात्मा और थधर्मद्रोही हैं

Transliteration

ājijīviṣavo vidyāṃ yaśaḥ-kāmau samantataḥ | te sarve nṛpa pāpiṣṭhā dharmasya paripanथinaḥ ||

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ผู้ใดแสวงหาวิชาเพียงเพื่อเลี้ยงชีพ และอาศัยอำนาจแห่งวิชานั้นเที่ยวใฝ่หายศศักดิ์และความสมปรารถนาไปทั่วทุกทิศ—ผู้นั้นทั้งสิ้นเป็นคนบาปยิ่ง และเป็นผู้ขัดขวางธรรม

Word by Word

आजिजीविषवःdesirous of livelihood (wanting to live/earn)

विद्याम्knowledge, learning

यशःfame

कामौdesires (twofold)/desired objects

समन्ततःon all sides, everywhere

तेthey

सर्वेall

नृपO king

पापिष्ठाःmost sinful, very wicked

धर्मस्यof dharma, of righteousness

परिपन्थिनःobstructors/opponents (those who stand in the way)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

nṛpa (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Learning (vidyā) becomes ethically corrupt when it is pursued chiefly for livelihood, fame, and desire-fulfillment; such motivation turns knowledge into an instrument that obstructs dharma rather than serving it.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king on righteous conduct. Here he warns that people who acquire learning with self-serving aims—seeking status and pleasures through it—are to be regarded as opponents of dharma.