Shloka 10

Chapter 81: Trust, Allies, and the Qualifications of the King’s Artha-Secretary (अर्थसचिव)

Devanagari script

एकान्तेन हि विश्वास: कृत्स्नो धर्मार्थनाशक: । अविश्वासश्च सर्वत्र मृत्युना च विशिष्यते

Transliteration

ekāntena hi viśvāsaḥ kṛtsno dharmārthanāśakaḥ | aviśvāsaś ca sarvatra mṛtyunā ca viśiṣyate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“对某人毫无保留的信任，足以尽毁法与利。然在一切处对所有人尽皆不信，更甚于死，祸害尤烈。故智者行于中道，不陷盲信，亦不堕遍疑。”

Word by Word

• एकान्तेन: by exclusiveness/absolutely
• एकान्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• विश्वासः: trust
• विश्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृत्स्नः: entire/complete
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मार्थनाशकः: destroyer of dharma and artha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मार्थनाशक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अविश्वासः: distrust
• अविश्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविश्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सर्वत्र: everywhere/in all cases
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र

• मृत्युना: than death/by death
• मृत्युना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• विशिष्यते: is distinguished/excels
• Type: Verb
• Root: विशिष्
• Form: Lat, Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Active (Atmanepada usage)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Avoid extremes: blind, total trust can destroy both moral standing (dharma) and practical well-being (artha), but universal distrust is even more ruinous. Discernment and measured confidence are the ethical mean.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance after the war. Here he offers a practical moral warning about how trust and suspicion affect one’s life, relationships, and stability.