Shloka 42

Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī

Devanagari script

लोकयात्राविघातश्न दानधर्मफलागमे । तदर्थ वेदशब्दाशक्ष व्यवहाराक्ष लौकिका:,यदि आत्माकी सत्ता न मानी जाय तो लोकयात्राका निर्वाह नहीं होगा। दान और दूसरे धर्मोंके फलकी प्राप्तिके लिये कोई आस्था नहीं रहेगी; क्योंकि वैदिक शब्द और लौकिक व्यवहार सब आत्माको ही सुख देनेके लिये हैं

Transliteration

lokayātrāvighātaś ca dānadharmaphalāgame | tadarthaṃ vedāḥ śabdāś ca vyavahārāś ca laukikāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Wird die Existenz des Selbst nicht anerkannt, so wäre schon der Fortgang des weltlichen Lebens gehemmt, und es gäbe keinen Grund, auf das Erlangen der Früchte von Wohltätigkeit und anderen Pflichten zu vertrauen. Denn die vedischen Worte wie auch die gewöhnlichen Gepflogenheiten der Welt sind allesamt auf das Wohl und die Erfüllung des Selbst gerichtet.“

Word by Word

लोकयात्राविघातःobstruction of worldly life/maintenance

चand

दानधर्मफलागमेin/with regard to the attainment of the fruit of charity and dharma

तदर्थाःhaving that (as their) purpose; for that end

वेदशब्दाःVedic words/utterances

चand

व्यवहाराःpractices/usages (transactions)

चand

लौकिकाःworldly/common

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Bhīṣma argues that acknowledging the Self (ātman) is necessary for ethics and religion to be meaningful: without it, society’s functioning (lokayātrā) collapses and faith in the fruits of charity and duty (dāna-dharma-phala) loses its basis; both Vedic injunctions and everyday norms ultimately aim at the Self’s welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right understanding, Bhīṣma continues his philosophical teaching, explaining why belief in the Self undergirds both scriptural authority (Vedic śabda) and ordinary social practice (laukika vyavahāra).