Shloka 14

Bhīmasena’s Counsel on Grief, Inner Conflict, and the Duty of Kingship (भीमसेन-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

तेषामन्यतमोत्सेके विधानमुपदिश्यते । हर्षेण बाध्यते शोको हर्ष: शोकेन बाध्यते,“इनमेंसे किसी एककी वृद्धि होनेपर उपचार बताया जाता है। हर्ष (सत्त्व)-के द्वारा शोक (रजोगुण)-का निवारण होता है और शोकके द्वारा हर्षका

Transliteration

teṣām anyatamotseke vidhānam upadiśyate | harṣeṇa bādhyate śoko harṣaḥ śokena bādhyate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wenn einer dieser Zustände übermäßig wird, ist ein Heilmittel vorgeschrieben. Kummer wird durch Freude gezügelt, und Freude wiederum wird durch Kummer gezügelt.“

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them

अन्यतमin one (of them)

उत्सेकेin increase/exaltation (swelling, rise)

विधानम्a prescription; a rule/remedy

उपदिश्यतेis taught/indicated

हर्षेणby joy

बाध्यतेis checked/overcome

शोकःgrief

हर्षःjoy

शोकेनby grief

बाध्यतेis checked/overcome

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches moderation through counterbalancing mental states: when one emotion becomes excessive, it can be corrected by cultivating its opposite—joy can relieve grief, and awareness of sorrow can sober and restrain excessive elation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana continues explaining practical methods for inner steadiness, stating a rule-like remedy for emotional excess: grief and joy function as mutual correctives when one dominates.