Shloka 175

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

विश्वस्तं वा प्रमत्तं वा एतदेव कृतं भवेत्‌ । बलवत्संनिकर्षो हि न कदाचित्‌ प्रशस्थते

Transliteration

viśvastaṃ vā pramattaṃ vā etad eva kṛtaṃ bhavet | balavatsaṃnikarṣo hi na kadācit praśasyate ||

Translation

Dù người ta tin cậy hay bất cẩn, kết cục vẫn như nhau: tai hại ấy vẫn có thể xảy ra. Bởi sự kề cận với kẻ quyền thế chưa bao giờ, vào bất cứ lúc nào, thật đáng khen—vì nó phơi mình trước hiểm họa, ngay cả khi không hề có lời báo trước.

Word by Word

विश्वस्तम्trusting, unsuspecting

वाor

प्रमत्तम्careless, inattentive

वाor

एतत्this

एवindeed, just

कृतम्done, committed

भवेत्would be, may happen

बलवत्-संनिकर्षःclose contact with a powerful (person/thing)

हिindeed, for

नnot

कदाचित्ever, at any time

प्रशस्यतेis praised, is commended

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not assume safety merely because you are trusting or merely because you are alert; closeness to those who wield great power is inherently risky and therefore not generally praiseworthy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma and practical conduct in the Śānti Parva, warns that harm can befall a person whether they are unsuspecting or negligent, and he generalizes this as a caution against staying too near the powerful.