Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 10

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

अप्यदृष्टं श्रवादेव पुरुषं धर्मचारिणम्‌ | भूतिकर्माणि कुर्वाणं तं जना: कुर्वते प्रियम्‌

Transliteration

apy adṛṣṭaṃ śravād eva puruṣaṃ dharmacāriṇam | bhūtikarmāṇi kurvāṇaṃ taṃ janāḥ kurvate priyam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“纵使未曾亲见，人们也会仅凭闻其名而倾心于一位奉法而行之人——当他致力于为他人带来福祉与兴盛的事业之时。”

Word by Word

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अदृष्टम्: unseen (not seen)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• श्रवात्: from hearing
• श्रवात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रव
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पुरुषम्: a man/person
• पुरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मचारिणम्: practising dharma/righteous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भूतिकर्माणि: welfare/beneficial deeds
• भूतिकर्माणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतिकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कुर्वाणम्: doing/performing
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him/that (person)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुर्वते: make/hold (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Lat (present), Atmanepada, Third, Plural

• प्रियम्: dear/pleasant (as dear)
• प्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a dharma-practicing person (puruṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharmic conduct and welfare-oriented action generate trust and affection in society; even without personal acquaintance, a virtuous person becomes beloved through the mere hearing of his character and deeds.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction (Anuśāsana Parva), he highlights a social-ethical principle: the fame of a righteous, beneficent person spreads, and people naturally feel goodwill toward him even if they have not met him.