Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 54
Devanagari script
ज्ञानपूर्वकृतं कर्म च्छादयन्ते हासाधव: । ज्ञानपूर्व विनश्यन्ति गूहमाना महाजने
Transliteration
jñānapūrvakṛtaṃ karma cchādayante hāsādhavaḥ | jñānapūrvaṃ vinaśyanti gūhamānā mahājane ||
Translation
毗湿摩说：恶人竭力遮掩自己明知而犯的罪业；然而当他们在大德明鉴之人面前仍欲隐匿其过，便走向败亡——因为那被刻意掩盖的罪咎，终将反噬而毁灭其身。
Word by Word
ज्ञानपूर्वकृतम्done knowingly
ज्ञानपूर्वकृतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootज्ञानपूर्वकृत
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
कर्मdeed, act
कर्म:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
च्छादयन्तेthey conceal
च्छादयन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootछाद्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada
हिindeed
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
असाधवःwicked people
असाधवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअसाधु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
ज्ञानपूर्वम्knowingly, deliberately
ज्ञानपूर्वम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootज्ञानपूर्व
विनश्यन्तिthey perish
विनश्यन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootनश्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
गूहमानाःconcealing (hiding)
गूहमानाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootगूह्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, Atmanepada (present participle)
महाजनेamong/before the great people
महाजने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमहाजन
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Deliberate wrongdoing becomes more destructive when one tries to hide it; concealment before the wise and the morally serious community leads to downfall, implying that confession, transparency, and reform are essential to dharmic living.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he warns about the fate of immoral people: they knowingly commit sinful acts and then attempt to conceal them, but such secrecy—especially in the face of the noble and discerning—results in their ruin.