Mahabharata · Chapter 12.265

ime vai mānasāḥ sarve dharmaṃ prati viśaṅkitāḥ /
ko'yaṃ dharmaḥ kuto dharmastanme brūhi pitāmaha //

dharmastvayamihārthaḥ kimamutrārthopi vā bhavet /
ubhayārtho hi vā dharmastanme brūhi pitāmaha //
bhīṣma uvāca /

sadācāraḥ smṛtirvedāstrividhaṃ dharmalakṣaṇam /
caturthamarthamapyāhuḥ kavayo dharmalakṣaṇam //

avidhyuktāni karmāṇi vyavasyantyuptamūṣare /
lokayātrārthameveha dharmasya niyamaḥ kṛtaḥ //

ubhayatra sukhodarka iha caiva paratra ca /
alabdhvā nipuṇaṃ dharmaṃ pāpaḥ pāpe prasajjati //

na ca pāpakṛtaḥ pāpānmucyante kecidāpadi / apāpavādī bhavati yathā bhavati dharmavit /
dharmasya niṣṭhā svācārastamevāśritya cāvaset //

yathādharmasamāviṣṭo dhanaṃ gṛhṇāti taskaraḥ /
ramate nirharastenaḥ paravittamarājake //

yadāsya taddharantyanye tadā rājānamicchati /
tadā teṣāṃ spṛhayate ye vai tuṣṭāḥ svakairdhanaiḥ //

abhītaḥ śucirabhyeti rājadvāramaśaṅkitaḥ /
na hi duścaritaṃ kiñcidantarātmani paśyati //

satyasya vacanaṃ sādhu na satyādvidyate param /
satyena vidhṛtaṃ sarvaṃ sarvaṃ satye pratiṣṭhitam //

api pāpakṛto raudrāḥ satyaṃ kṛtvā mithaḥkṛtam /
adrohamavisaṃvādaṃ pravartante tadāśrayāḥ //

te cenmithyā dhṛtiṃ kuryurvinaśyeyurasaṃśayam /
na hartavyaṃ paradhanamiti dharmavido viduḥ //

manyante balavantastaṃ durbalaiḥ sampravartitam /
yadā niyatidaurbalyamathaiṣāmeva rocate //

na hyatyantaṃ balayutā bhavanti sukhinopi vā /
tasmādanārjave buddhirna kāryā te kadācana //

asādhubhyo'sya na bhayaṃ na caurebhyo na rājataḥ /
akiñcitkasyacitkurvannirbhayaḥ śucirāvaset //

sarvataḥ śaṅkate steno mṛgo grāmamiveyivān /
bahudhā'caritaṃ pāpamanyatraivānupaśyati //

muditaḥ śucirabhyeti sarvato nirbhayaḥ sadā /
na hi duścaritaṃ kiñcidātmano'nyeṣu paśyati //

dātavyamityayaṃ dharma ukto bhūtahite rataiḥ /
taṃ manyante dhanayutāḥ kṛpaṇaiḥ sampravartitam //

yadā niyatikārpaṇyamathaipāmava rocate /
dhanavantopi nātyantaṃ bhavanti sukhinopi vā //

yadanyairvihitaṃ necchedātmanaḥ karma pūruṣaḥ /
na tatpareṣu kurvīta jānannapriyamātmanaḥ //

yo'nyasya syādupapatiḥ sa kaṃ kiṃ vaktumarhati /
yadanyasya tataḥ kuryānna mṛṣyediti me matiḥ //

jīvituṃ yaḥ svayaṃ cecchetkathaṃ so'nyaṃ praghātayet /
yadyadātmana iccheta tatparasyāpi cintayet //

atiriktaḥ saṃvibhajedbhogairanyānakiñcanān /
etasmātkāraṇāddhātrā kusīdaṃ sampravartitam //

yasmiṃstu devāḥ samaye santiṣṭheraṃstathā bhavet /
atha cellobhasamaye sthitirdharmo'pi śobhanā //

sarvaṃ priyābhyupagataṃ puṇyamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ /
paśyaitaṃ lakṣaṇoddeśaṃ dharmādharme yudhiṣṭhira //

lokasangrahasaṃyuktaṃ vidhātrā vihitaṃ purā /
sūkṣmadharmārthaniyataṃ satāṃ caritamuttamam //

dharmalakṣaṇamākhyātametatte kurusattama /
tasmādanārjave buddhirna te kāryā kathañcana //