Shloka 10

Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications

Devanagari script

रसवेगश्न दुर्वार्य: श्रोत्रवेगश्न॒ दुःसह: । कुत्सा विकत्था मात्सर्य पापं दुष्करकारिता

Transliteration

rasavegaś ca durvāryaḥ śrotravegaś ca duḥsahaḥ | kutsā vikatthā mātsaryaṁ pāpaṁ duṣkarakāritā ||

Translation

ভীষ্মে ক’লে—ৰস (স্বাদ) ৰ বেগ দমন কৰা দুৰ্বাৰ; শ্ৰোত্ৰ (শুনা) ৰ বেগ সহ্য কৰা দুঃসহ। তিৰস্কাৰ/নিন্দা, নিজৰ প্ৰশংসাৰ বাবে অতিশয়োক্তি, মাত্সৰ্য, পাপপ্ৰৱণতা আৰু দুষ্কৰ (হানিকৰ) কৰ্মলৈ ঠেলি দিয়া প্ৰবৃত্তি—এইবোৰ অন্তৰৰ সেই বল, যিয়ে মানুহক অস্থিৰ কৰি ধৰ্মপথৰ পৰা আঁতৰাই নিয়ে।

Word by Word

रसवेगज्ञःknower of the impulse of taste (i.e., one who understands/controls taste-urge)

दुर्वार्यःhard to restrain

श्रोत्रवेगज्ञःknower of the impulse of hearing (i.e., one who understands/controls the ear-urge)

दुःसहःhard to endure

कुत्साcensure, contempt

विकत्थाboasting, bragging

मात्सर्यम्envy, jealousy

पापम्sin, evil

दुष्करकारिताcausing difficult acts; instigation of hard-to-do deeds

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma highlights how unchecked sensory impulses—especially craving for taste and being swayed by what one hears—combine with contempt, boasting, envy, and sinfulness to push a person into harmful actions; therefore restraint and ethical vigilance are essential for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living after the war, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira by listing inner impulses and vices that obstruct moral steadiness and lead to wrongdoing.