Shloka 7

अविश्वास-निति: ब्रह्मदत्त–पूजनी-संवादः

Policy of Caution: The Brahmadatta–Pūjanī Dialogue

Devanagari script

असाधुभ्यो<र्थमादाय साधुभ्यो य: प्रयच्छति । आत्मानं संक्रमं कृत्वा कृत्स्नधर्मविदेव सः,जो राजा दुष्टोंस धन छीनकर उसे श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंमें बाँट देता है, वह अपने-आपको सेतु बनाकर उन सबको पार कर देता है। उसे सम्पूर्ण धर्मोका ज्ञाता ही मानना चाहिये

Transliteration

asādhubhyo 'rtham ādāya sādhubhyo yaḥ prayacchati | ātmānaṃ saṅkramaṃ kṛtvā kṛtsnadharmavideva saḥ ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا— جو شخص بدکاروں سے مال چھین کر نیکوں کو دے دیتا ہے، وہ اپنے آپ کو پل بنا کر دوسروں کو پار اتار دیتا ہے؛ اسے ہی کامل طور پر دھرم کا جاننے والا سمجھنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

असाधुभ्यःfrom the wicked (persons)

अर्थम्wealth, property

आदायhaving taken

साधुभ्यःto the good (persons)

यःwho

प्रयच्छतिgives, bestows

आत्मानम्himself

संक्रमम्a crossing-place, bridge, causeway

कृत्वाhaving made

कृत्स्नधर्मविद्knower of the entire dharma

एवindeed, just

सःhe

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?

A ruler (or moral agent) may righteously confiscate wealth from the wicked and redistribute it to the virtuous when done as an act of dharma—protecting society, curbing wrongdoing, and supporting the good—without selfish motive.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and dharma, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira principles of righteous rule, praising the king who restrains wrongdoers and strengthens the virtuous, calling such a person a true knower of dharma.