Shloka 2

Daśa-Karmapatha: Restraints of Body, Speech, and Mind (दश कर्मपथ)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच कायेन त्रिविधं कर्म वाचा चापि चतुर्विधम्‌ | मनसा त्रिविधं चैव दशकर्मपथांस्त्यजेत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | kāyena trividhaṃ karma vācā cāpi caturvidham | manasā trividhaṃ caiva daśa-karmapathāṃs tyajet ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，当舍弃十种业道：身所作三种，语所作四种，意所起三种。如此自制，便能以离弃这些有害之途，使行持与达摩相应。”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular

• कायेन: by the body
• कायेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• त्रिविधम्: threefold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: action/deed
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाचा: by speech
• वाचा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• चतुर्विधम्: fourfold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• त्रिविधम्: threefold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

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

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Indeclinable (numeral used adjectivally), —, —

• कर्मपथान्: paths/ways of action (courses of conduct)
• कर्मपथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मपथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-ling), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (Yudhishthira, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches ethical restraint through the doctrine of the ten karmapathas: one should abandon harmful actions at three levels—body (3), speech (4), and mind (3)—so that conduct becomes aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs the king on dharma and proper conduct. Here he begins a concise ethical framework, urging the renunciation of ten wrongful courses of action spanning bodily, verbal, and mental behavior.