Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 12
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
Devanagari script
ते चेन्मिथो<धृतिं कुर्युर्विनश्येयुरसंशयम् । न हर्तव्यं परधनमिति धर्म: सनातन:
Transliteration
te cen mitho dhṛtiṁ kuryur vinaśyeyur asaṁśayam | na hartavyaṁ paradhanam iti dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“若人们彼此结下顽固之约（欲夺取并相互报复），必将无疑走向毁灭。因此，不可夺取他人之财——此乃达摩的永恒法则。”
Word by Word
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
चेत्if
चेत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचेत्
मिथःmutually, with one another
मिथः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमिथः
धृतिम्steadfastness, restraint
धृतिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधृति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कुर्युःshould do / should practice
कुर्युः:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormVidhi-linga (optative), Non-past (modal), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
विनश्येयुःwould perish
विनश्येयुः:
TypeVerb
Rootनश्
FormVidhi-linga (optative), Non-past (modal), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
असंशयम्undoubtedly
असंशयम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअसंशय
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
हर्तव्यम्to be taken / should be taken
हर्तव्यम्:
TypeVerb
Rootहृ
FormGerundive (tavya), Passive sense, Neuter, Nominative, Singular
परधनम्another's wealth
परधनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपरधन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इतिthus (quotative)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
धर्मःdharma, righteous rule
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सनातनःeternal
सनातनः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसनातन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that taking another’s property is contrary to eternal dharma; when people harden into mutual, retaliatory resolve, society collapses into certain ruin.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and social ethics; here he warns against cycles of mutual obstinacy and affirms the perennial rule against appropriating others’ wealth.