Shloka 26

Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)

Devanagari script

राजन! ब्रह्महत्यारे, शराबी, चोर तथा व्रतभज़ करने वालोंके लिये शास्त्रमें प्रायश्नित्तका विधान है; परंतु कृतघ्नके उद्धारका कोई उपाय नहीं बताया गया है ।।

Transliteration

rājan! brahmahatyāre, śarābī, cora tathā vratabhraṣṭa karane vāloṃ ke liye śāstra meṃ prāyaścittakā vidhāna hai; parantu kṛtaghna ke uddhār kā koī upāya nahīṃ batāyā gayā hai. mitradrohī nṛśaṃsaḥ kṛtaghnaś ca narādhamaḥ | kravyādaiḥ kṛmibhiś caiva na bhujyante hi tādṛśāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，经论甚至为重罪之人——杀婆罗门者、嗜酒者、盗贼、破戒毁誓者——都规定了赎罪之法；唯独对忘恩负义之人，却不曾教示任何救赎之道。背叛朋友者、残忍者、忘恩负义的卑劣之徒——此等下贱之人污秽至极，连食肉猛兽与虫蚁也不愿啖其尸身。”

Word by Word

• मित्रद्रोही: a betrayer of a friend
• मित्रद्रोही: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्रद्रोहिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृशंसः: cruel, ruthless
• नृशंसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतघ्नः: ungrateful
• कृतघ्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नराधमः: the lowest of men
• नराधमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रव्यादैः: by flesh-eaters (carnivores/scavengers)
• क्रव्यादैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रव्याद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कृमिभिः: by worms
• कृमिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भुज्यन्ते: are eaten
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Passive, Third, Plural

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तादृशाः: such (persons)
• तादृशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rājan (the King—Yudhiṣṭhira, implied addressee)
• Śāstra (scriptural authority)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma elevates gratitude and loyalty as foundational virtues: even severe ritual-legal sins have prescribed expiations, but ingratitude and betrayal of friends are portrayed as moral corruption so deep that scripture offers no clear path of atonement.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), Bhīṣma continues ethical counsel by contrasting punishable sins that admit penance with the uniquely condemned status of the ungrateful, friend-betraying, cruel person.