Shloka 26

Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः

Devanagari script

धननाशाद्‌ दुःखतरं जीवितादू विप्रयोजनम्‌ | अयं ते रोचतां धर्म इति वाच्य: प्रयत्नत:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | dhananāśād duḥkhataraṃ jīvitād viprayojanam | ayaṃ te rocatāṃ dharma iti vācyaḥ prayatnataḥ |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“比失财更为痛苦的，是与生命本身分离——夺人性命。故当以法（dharma）为所珍爱。此教诲——‘以法为汝所择之乐’——应当以审慎之力传告于恶人，使其受教而知所约束。”

Word by Word

• {'dhananāśa': 'loss or destruction of wealth', 'duḥkhatara': 'more painful, more grievous', 'jīvitāt': 'than life (ablative of jīvita)', 'viprayojanam': 'separation, disunion

• here, severance from life (killing)', 'ayam': 'this (teaching/point)', 'te': 'to you

• for you', 'rocatām': 'may it please

• may it be agreeable/attractive', 'dharma': 'righteous duty, moral law, ethical order', 'iti': 'thus

• in these words', 'vācyaḥ': 'should be said/told

• to be communicated', 'prayatnataḥ': 'with effort, carefully, deliberately'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma ranks harms: taking life is a graver and more painful wrong than taking wealth. Hence one should cultivate delight in dharma and actively teach this restraint, especially to wrongdoers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and governance, Bhīṣma advises the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira) to promote dharma by clearly and persistently admonishing the wicked, emphasizing that violence against life is the most grievous injury.