Shloka 30
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
न खल्वप्यरसज्ञस्थ काम: क्वचन जायते । संस्पर्शाद् दर्शनाद् वापि श्रवणाद् वापि जायते
na khalv apy arasajñastha kāmaḥ kvacana jāyate | saṁsparśād darśanād vāpi śravaṇād vāpi jāyate ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Begierde entsteht nirgends in dem, der des Sinnes für den Genussgeschmack (rasa) entbehrt. Vielmehr wird sie durch Berührung geboren, oder durch Sehen, oder sogar durch Hören — durch diese Tore, durch die der Geist sich an die Dinge bindet.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire is not an unavoidable fate; it is conditioned by one’s relationship to sensory experience. When the mind does not ‘relish’ sense-objects, kāma does not take root. Desire typically arises through the channels of touch, sight, and hearing, so restraint and mindful guarding of the senses are key ethical disciplines.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and inner discipline. Here he explains the psychological origin of desire, pointing to sensory contact and perception as the immediate causes, as part of a broader teaching on self-mastery and righteous living.