Shloka 19

पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ पितुर्वच: कार्य न विचार्य कदाचन । पातकान्यपि पूयन्ते पितु: शासनकारिण:,“इसलिये पिताके आदेशका पालन करना चाहिये। उसपर कभी कोई विचार नहीं करना चाहिये। जो पिताकी आज्ञाका पालन करनेवाला है, उसके पातक भी नष्ट हो जाते हैं

Transliteration

tasmāt pitur vacaḥ kāryaṃ na vicārya kadācana | pātakāny api pūyante pituḥ śāsanakāriṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Vì thế, mệnh lệnh của người cha phải được thi hành, chớ bao giờ do dự hay cân nhắc lại. Ngay cả tội lỗi của kẻ hành động theo lời răn dạy của cha cũng được gột sạch—sức mạnh của sự vâng phục phụ quyền trong dharma là như vậy.”

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that reason

पितुःof the father

वचःword/command

कार्यम्to be done/ought to be done

नnot

विचार्यhaving considered/after deliberating

कदाचनever/at any time

पातकानिsins

अपिeven/also

पूयन्तेare purified/are cleansed

पितुःof the father

शासनकारिणःof one who carries out (the father's) command

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

father (pituḥ)

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?

The verse teaches that obedience to a father’s instruction is a strong component of dharma; such obedience is portrayed as so meritorious that it can even purify one’s sins.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhīṣma is advising on righteous conduct, emphasizing the ethical weight traditionally given to honoring and executing a father’s command.