Adhyāya 174: Karma as an inescapable companion (कर्मानुगमन-उपदेश)
एष धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ प्रोक्त: पापो मया तव । मित्रद्रोही कृतघ्नो वै कि भूय: श्रोतुमिच्छसि
eṣa dharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha proktaḥ pāpo mayā tava | mitradrohī kṛtaghno vai kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi ||
毗湿摩说道:“噢,诸持法者中最卓越者!我已如此向你说明那罪人——背弃朋友、忘恩负义之人。你还想听什么呢?”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhīṣma underscores that betraying a friend (mitradroha) and being ungrateful (kṛtaghnatā) are grave ethical faults; such a person is to be recognized as pāpa (sinful), standing opposed to dharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma concludes a description of the character of a sinful man—specifically one who harms friends and repays kindness with wrongdoing—and then asks what further topic Yudhiṣṭhira wishes to hear.