Shloka 21
धर्म्यविजय-नियमाः
Rules for Dharmic Victory in Kṣatriya Engagement
Devanagari script
महादृतिरिवाध्मात: सुकृते नैव वर्तते । ततः: समूलो द्वियते नदीं कूलादिव द्रुम:
Transliteration
mahādṛtir ivādhmātaḥ sukṛte naiva vartate | tataḥ samūlo dhriyate nadīṁ kūlād iva drumaḥ ||
Translation
毗湿摩说：“如同巨大的皮囊被吹得鼓胀，罪人也因自身恶行而膨胀自满，不肯转向功德之业。随后，正如立于河岸的树被连根拔起、卷入水流而去，那罪人也同样被连根拔除，彻底毁灭。”
Word by Word
महादृतिःa great leather-bag/bladder
महादृतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहादृति (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike/as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
आध्मातःinflated/swollen
आध्मातः:
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-ध्मा (धातु) → आध्मात (कृदन्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सुकृतेin good deeds/merit
सुकृते:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसुकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
एवindeed/at all
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
वर्ततेacts/engages (in), proceeds
वर्तते:
TypeVerb
Rootवृत् (धातु)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
ततःthen/thereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
समूलःwith roots; root-and-all
समूलः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसमूल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
द्वियतेis torn apart / is uprooted (lit. split)
द्वियते:
TypeVerb
Rootद्वि/द्वा (धातु, ‘to split/tear’; here passive-like usage)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
नदीम्the river
नदीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कूलात्from the bank
कूलात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootकूल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
इवlike/as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
द्रुमःa tree
द्रुमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaR
river (nadī)R
riverbank (kūla)T
tree (druma)L
leather bag (dṛti)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing inflates the sinner’s pride and dulls the impulse toward merit; such a life becomes unstable and ends in total ruin—like a tree undermined at the riverbank and uprooted with its roots.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction (Śānti Parva), he uses two vivid similes—an inflated leather bag and a riverbank tree swept away—to warn that persistent sin leads to moral stagnation and eventual complete destruction.