Shloka 4

मोक्षधर्मः — स्नेहपाशच्छेदः

Mokṣa-dharma: Cutting the Bonds of Attachment

Devanagari script

न चक्षुषा न मनसा न वाचा दूषयेदपि । न प्रत्यक्ष परोक्षं वा दूषणं व्याहरेत्‌ क्वचित्‌

Transliteration

na cakṣuṣā na manasā na vācā dūṣayed api | na pratyakṣa-parokṣaṃ vā dūṣaṇaṃ vyāharet kvacit ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“不可责人之过——不以眼观其过，不以心念其过，不以言说其过。无论当面或背后，都不可出言诋毁。”

Word by Word

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

• चक्षुषा: with the eye
• चक्षुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

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

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

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

• वाचा: with speech
• वाचा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

• दूषयेत्: should blemish/defile (find fault)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दूष्
• Form: vidhi-linga, optative, third, singular, parasmaipada

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly (in presence)
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• परोक्षम्: indirectly (in absence)
• परोक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परोक्ष
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• दूषणम्: fault-finding, censure
• दूषणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूषण
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• व्याहरेत्: should utter/speak
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-हृ
• Form: vidhi-linga, optative, third, singular, parasmaipada

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित्

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

To practice restraint at three levels—seeing, thinking, and speaking—by avoiding fault-finding and blame, whether openly or in private. Ethical discipline begins with how one perceives others, forms judgments, and uses speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues his counsel on righteous conduct, emphasizing moral self-governance and the avoidance of disparaging others in any setting.