Shloka 46

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

श्रेष्ठो हि पण्डित: शत्रुर्न च मित्रमपण्डित:

Transliteration

śreṣṭho hi paṇḍitaḥ śatrur na ca mitram apaṇḍitaḥ

Translation

دانشمند دشمن بھی بہتر ہے؛ مگر احمق آدمی دوست بھی نہیں ہوتا۔

Word by Word

श्रेष्ठःbetter, superior

हिindeed, for

पण्डितःa learned man, wise person

शत्रुःenemy

नnot

चand

मित्रम्friend

अपण्डितःan unlearned/foolish person

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Discernment matters more than labels like ‘friend’ or ‘enemy’: a wise adversary may act predictably and within reason, while a foolish friend can cause unintended damage through poor judgment, leading one away from dharma and well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and practical ethics after the war. This verse appears as a concise maxim within that counsel, emphasizing the value of wisdom in relationships and decision-making.