Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कामार्थो पृष्ठत: कृत्वा लोभमोहानुसारिणौ । धर्म इत्येव सम्बुद्धास्तानुपास्व च पृच्छ च

Transliteration

kāmārtho pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā lobhamohānusāriṇau | dharma ityeva sambuddhās tān upāsva ca pṛccha ca ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“当把欲（kāma）与利（artha）置于身后——这些追逐往往随逐贪欲与迷妄而行。唯有法（dharma）才是真正的善。因此，当侍奉并常随那些高贵之士：他们恒常渴慕与贤者为伍，永不厌足；以阿伽摩（āgama）为至上权威；并且常住知足。侍奉他们，并向他们请问，以解你心中疑惑。”

Word by Word

• कामार्थौ: desire and wealth (kāma and artha)
• कामार्थौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पृष्ठतः: behind, at the back
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः

• कृत्वा: having made (having put)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada, Non-finite

• लोभमोहानुसारिणौ: following greed and delusion
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुसारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• धर्मः: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (as)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

• सम्बुद्धाः: considered/recognized (as)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्बुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उपास्व: serve, attend upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस्
• Form: Lot (Imperative), Parasmaipada, Present (imperative sense), Second, Singular

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

• पृच्छ: ask, inquire
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Lot (Imperative), Parasmaipada, Present (imperative sense), Second, Singular

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prioritize dharma above kāma and artha, since worldly aims often trail greed and delusion; seek clarity by serving and questioning truly content, scripture-guided, virtuous elders.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction section of the Anushasana Parva, he advises the listener to approach and serve saintly, dharma-centered people and to ask them questions to remove doubts, emphasizing ethical discernment over worldly pursuits.