Shloka 111

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

नच वक्चित्‌ कृते कार्य कर्तारें समवेक्षते

Transliteration

na ca vakcit kṛte kārya kartāraṃ samavekṣate

Translation

毗湿摩说：“事情既已做成，便不应再四下寻人，认作‘作者’，以便归功或归咎。”在《寂静篇》的伦理旨趣中，此言在于约束其心，不使其事后执著于‘谁在作’——尤其是那种急于分派褒贬、归责定功的冲动——使判断依于法（dharma），而不随情绪反应而转。

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• va: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: va

• kacit: someone/anyone (ever)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kacit

• kṛte: when (something is) done; in the done act
• kṛte: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• kāryam: the act to be done; duty; task
• kāryam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• kartāram: the doer/agent
• kartāram: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartṛ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• samavekṣate: looks at; considers; takes into account
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ava-īkṣ (īkṣ)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not become obsessed, after an event, with pinpointing a single ‘doer’ to praise or blame; ethical clarity requires restraint from reactive attribution and a steadier view aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct; here he offers a maxim about how one should regard actions and agency, discouraging post‑facto fixation on who should be labeled the agent.