Shloka 23
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
नूनं ते हृदयं काम वज़सारमयं दृढम् | यदनर्थशताविष्टं शतधा न विदीर्यते
nūnaṁ te hṛdayaṁ kāma vajrasāramayaṁ dṛḍham | yad anarthaśatāviṣṭaṁ śatadhā na vidīryate ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Wahrlich, o Kāma (Begehren), dein Herz ist hart — aus diamantener Essenz und wahrhaft fest; denn obgleich es von Hunderten von Unheilen und Übeln ergriffen wird, zerbricht es doch nicht in hundert Stücke.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire is portrayed as extraordinarily hard and persistent: even when it brings repeated harm, it does not break or diminish easily. The ethical implication is the need for vigilance and self-mastery, since unchecked desire endures despite suffering and continues to drive unwholesome actions.
Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma in the Śānti Parva, addresses Kāma as a personified force. He marvels (with reproach) at desire’s stubborn resilience: though surrounded by countless harmful consequences, it remains unshattered—highlighting why desire is such a formidable obstacle to peace and right conduct.