Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतावन्मात्रमेतद्धि भूतानां प्राज्ञलक्षणम्‌ | कालयुक्तो5प्युभयविच्छेषं॑ युक्त समाचरेत्‌,प्राणियोंकी बुद्धिमत्ताकी यही पहचान है कि वे धर्मके फलमें विश्वास करके उसके आचरणमें लग जायँ। जिसे कर्तव्य-अकर्तव्य दोनोंका ज्ञान है, उस पुरुषको चाहिये कि प्रतिकूल प्रारब्धसे युक्त होकर भी यथायोग्य धर्मका ही आचरण करे

Transliteration

etāvanmātram etaddhi bhūtānāṁ prājñalakṣaṇam | kālayukto 'py ubhayaviccheṣaṁ yuktaḥ samācaret |

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Dies allein ist wahrlich das Kennzeichen der Weisheit bei den Wesen: Im Vertrauen auf die Frucht des Dharma widmen sie sich seiner Ausübung. Selbst wenn Zeit und Geschick sie an widrige Umstände binden, soll der, der erkennt, was zu tun und was zu lassen ist, dennoch angemessen handeln — den Dharma wählen und ihn so gut leben, wie es die Lage erlaubt.“

Word by Word

{'etāvanmātram''only this much

to this extent alone', 'etat''this (teaching/point)', 'hi': 'indeed

for', 'bhūtānām''of beings

of living creatures', 'prājña-lakṣaṇam''mark/sign of the wise

characteristic of discernment', 'kāla-yuktaḥ''joined with time

subject to circumstances/time (often implying fate/adversity)', 'api''even

although', 'ubhaya''both (twofold)', 'viccheṣam': 'distinction

separation (herebetween two alternatives)', 'yuktaḥ': 'fit

appropriate', 'samācaret''should practice/perform

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wisdom is shown by discerning duty from non-duty and continuing to practice dharma appropriately even when circumstances (kāla) are unfavorable, trusting that dharma bears fruit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on ethical conduct: the wise do not abandon dharma due to adverse fate or timing, but act rightly within what is possible.