Shloka 12

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

आजिजीविषवो विद्यां यश:कामौ समन्तत:ः । ते सर्वे नृप पापिष्ठा धर्मस्य परिपन्थिन:

Transliteration

ājijīviṣavo vidyāṃ yaśaḥ-kāmau samantataḥ | te sarve nṛpa pāpiṣṭhā dharmasya paripanथinaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，那些求学只为谋生之人，又凭借学识之力四方逐名、追逐欲望的满足——此辈皆为罪业深重之徒，乃是阻碍正法（dharma）之人。”

Word by Word

• आजिजीविषवः: desirous of livelihood (wanting to live/earn)
• आजिजीविषवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-जीव् (इच्छार्थे) → जिजीविषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विद्याम्: knowledge, learning
• विद्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• यशः: fame
• यशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कामौ: desires (twofold)/desired objects
• कामौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• समन्ततः: on all sides, everywhere
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पापिष्ठाः: most sinful, very wicked
• पापिष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (पाप + इष्ठ, तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मस्य: of dharma, of righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• परिपन्थिनः: obstructors/opponents (those who stand in the way)
• परिपन्थिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिपन्थिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpa (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Learning (vidyā) becomes ethically corrupt when it is pursued chiefly for livelihood, fame, and desire-fulfillment; such motivation turns knowledge into an instrument that obstructs dharma rather than serving it.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king on righteous conduct. Here he warns that people who acquire learning with self-serving aims—seeking status and pleasures through it—are to be regarded as opponents of dharma.