Shloka 7

मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169

Devanagari script

दीर्घसूत्रो5नृजु: क्रुष्टो गुरुदारप्रधर्षक: । व्यसने यः परित्यागी दुरात्मा निरपत्रप:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | dīrghasūtro'nṛjuḥ krūro gurudārapradhārṣakaḥ | vyasane yaḥ parityāgī durātmā nirapatrapaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“凡拖延懈怠、为人不直而狡曲、性情粗暴，且亵渎师长之妻的圣洁者；凡在灾厄之时弃人而去者；凡心术邪恶而不知羞耻者——皆不堪结盟。”

Word by Word

• दीर्घसूत्रः: one who procrastinates (lit. long-threaded)
• दीर्घसूत्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घसूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनृजुः: crooked, not straightforward
• अनृजुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृजु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रुष्टः: harsh/abusive (one who has cried out/railed)
• क्रुष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृश्/क्रुश्-धातुजन्य विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुरुदारप्रधर्षकः: violator of the guru’s wife
• गुरुदारप्रधर्षकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुदारप्रधर्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यसने: in calamity/distress
• व्यसने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परित्यागी: one who abandons (others)
• परित्यागी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परित्यागिन् (प्रातिपदिक; त्यज्-धातुजन्य)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुरात्मा: evil-souled person
• दुरात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निरपत्रपः: shameless, without modesty
• निरपत्रपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरपत्रप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Guru (teacher/preceptor)
• Guru's wife (gurudārā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches discernment in forming alliances: avoid pacts with people whose conduct shows deceit, cruelty, shamelessness, and betrayal—especially those who abandon others in crisis or commit grave transgressions like violating the guru’s household—because such ties erode trust and damage dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and policy, Bhishma is listing character-types who are not fit for friendship or treaty. This verse begins that catalogue by naming the procrastinating, crooked, cruel person who violates the guru’s wife and deserts companions in misfortune, branding him wicked and shameless.