Shloka 48
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
यद् यत् त्यजति कामानां तत् सुखस्याभिपूर्यते । कामस्य वशगो नित्यं दुःखमेव प्रपद्यते
yad yat tyajati kāmānāṁ tat sukhasyābhipūryate | kāmasya vaśago nityaṁ duḥkham eva prapadyate ||
Bhīṣma sprach: In dem Maß, in dem ein Mensch Begierden aufgibt, wird er im selben Maß vom Glück erfüllt. Wer jedoch fortwährend unter der Herrschaft des Begehrens steht, erlangt nichts als Kummer.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Happiness increases in direct proportion to the abandonment of desires; subservience to desire inevitably results in suffering. The verse promotes self-mastery and dispassion as ethical and spiritual disciplines.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Bhīṣma continues his counsel by stating a general principle about human psychology: relinquishing cravings brings contentment, whereas being ruled by craving leads to continual distress.