Shloka 22

Durgātitaraṇa—Conduct for Crossing Difficulties (दुर्गातितरणम्)

Devanagari script

मधु मांसं च ये नित्यं वर्जयन्तीह मानवा: । जन्मप्रभृति मद्यं च दुर्गण्यतितरन्ति ते,जो मानव जन्मसे ही सदाके लिये मधु, मांस और मदिराका त्याग कर देते हैं, वे भी दुस्तर दुःखोंसे छूट जाते हैं

Transliteration

madhu māṁsaṁ ca ye nityaṁ varjayantīha mānavāḥ | janmaprabhṛti madyaṁ ca durgaṇy atitaranti te ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Wer in dieser Welt stets auf Honig und Fleisch verzichtet und von Geburt an auch berauschende Getränke entsagt, überwindet selbst schwere und kaum zu bezwingende Leiden. Die Lehre lautet: Disziplinierte Enthaltsamkeit in Speise und Rauschmitteln wird zum Mittel der Selbstläuterung und zur Befreiung aus der Bedrängnis.

Word by Word

मधुhoney

मांसम्meat

चand

येwho (those who)

नित्यम्always

वर्जयन्तिavoid, abstain from

इहhere (in this world)

मानवाःmen, humans

जन्म-प्रभृतिfrom birth onward

मद्यम्liquor, intoxicant

चand

दुर्गाणिhard (to cross), difficult

अतितरन्तिcross over, overcome

तेthey

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

madhū (honey)

māṁsa (meat)

madya (intoxicants)

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?

Consistent renunciation of certain foods and intoxicants—honey, meat, and alcohol—cultivates self-mastery and purity, enabling one to overcome severe suffering and moral danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on ethical conduct and disciplines; here he highlights dietary and intoxicant abstinence as a practical vow that leads to freedom from difficult afflictions.