Shloka 21

Haṃsa–Sādhya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dama, Kṣamā and the Discipline of Speech

Devanagari script

“यदि वे स्वजन जीवित रह जायाँ तो भी इनके भरण-पोषण और संरक्षणका कार्य समाप्त होनेसे पहले ही तुम इन्हें छोड़कर पीछे स्वयं भी तो मर जाओगे”

Transliteration

yadi te svajanā jīvitaṃ rahiṣyanti, tathāpi eṣāṃ bharaṇa-poṣaṇa-rakṣaṇasya kāryaṃ samāptam bhavitum pūrvam eva tvaṃ etān tyaktvā paścāt svayam api hi mariṣyasi.

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Selbst wenn deine Angehörigen am Leben blieben, wirst doch auch du sterben—sie zurücklassend—ehe die Aufgabe, sie zu ernähren und zu schützen, je wirklich vollendet ist.“

Word by Word

यदिif

तेthey/those

स्वजनाःkinsmen, one’s own people

जीविताःalive, living

रहेरन्might remain/stay

ततःthen, even then

अपिeven, also

एषाम्of these (persons)

भरणपोषणसंरक्षणकार्यस्यof the task of maintenance, nourishment, and protection

समाप्तेःfrom (its) completion; upon completion

पूर्वम्before

एतान्these (people)

त्वम्you

त्यक्त्वाhaving abandoned/left

पश्चात्afterwards, later

स्वयम्yourself

अपिalso, even

तुindeed, but

मरिष्यसिyou will die

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

svajana (kinsmen/dependents)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Family maintenance and protection are ongoing and never fully ‘finished,’ but life can end at any time. Therefore, one should not delay dharmic or spiritually necessary action by claiming that worldly responsibilities must first be completed.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction, Bhishma addresses the listener with a sobering reminder: even if one’s relatives remain alive, the speaker will die before the endless work of supporting and protecting them is completed—urging timely commitment to dharma rather than postponement.