Shloka 12
Devanagari script
ते चेन्मिथो<धृतिं कुर्युर्विनश्येयुरसंशयम् । न हर्तव्यं परधनमिति धर्म: सनातन:
Transliteration
te cen mitho dhṛtiṁ kuryur vinaśyeyur asaṁśayam | na hartavyaṁ paradhanam iti dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Translation
Bhīṣma nói: “Nếu người ta cùng nhau kết ước trong sự cố chấp (muốn chiếm đoạt và trả đũa), ắt hẳn sẽ diệt vong. Vì vậy, chớ lấy của cải của người khác—đó là luật dharma vĩnh cửu.”
Word by Word
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
चेत्if
चेत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचेत्
मिथःmutually, with one another
मिथः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमिथः
धृतिम्steadfastness, restraint
धृतिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधृति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कुर्युःshould do / should practice
कुर्युः:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormVidhi-linga (optative), Non-past (modal), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
विनश्येयुःwould perish
विनश्येयुः:
TypeVerb
Rootनश्
FormVidhi-linga (optative), Non-past (modal), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
असंशयम्undoubtedly
असंशयम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअसंशय
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
हर्तव्यम्to be taken / should be taken
हर्तव्यम्:
TypeVerb
Rootहृ
FormGerundive (tavya), Passive sense, Neuter, Nominative, Singular
परधनम्another's wealth
परधनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपरधन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इतिthus (quotative)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
धर्मःdharma, righteous rule
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सनातनःeternal
सनातनः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसनातन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that taking another’s property is contrary to eternal dharma; when people harden into mutual, retaliatory resolve, society collapses into certain ruin.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and social ethics; here he warns against cycles of mutual obstinacy and affirms the perennial rule against appropriating others’ wealth.