Shloka 6

Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse

Devanagari script

स्वपक्षे कारण ग्राह्मूं समये वचन हितम्‌ । शिष्टानां हि मत ग्राहां त्वद्विधै: शिष्टसम्मतै:

Transliteration

svapakṣe kāraṇa-grāhyaṃ samaye vacanaṃ hitam | śiṣṭānāṃ hi mata-grāhyaṃ tvadvidhaiḥ śiṣṭa-sammataiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „In der eigenen Sache soll man annehmen, was vernünftig ist; und zur rechten Zeit soll man sprechen, was heilsam ist. Denn die Meinung der Gebildeten ist anzunehmen — zumal von Menschen wie dir, die selbst von den Weisen gebilligt sind.“

Word by Word

स्वपक्षेin one's own side/party

कारणम्a reason/cause

ग्राह्यम्to be accepted

समयेat the proper time/occasion

वचनम्speech/statement/word

हितम्beneficial/wholesome

शिष्टानाम्of the learned/disciplinined (good people)

हिindeed/for

मतम्opinion/view

ग्राह्यम्to be accepted

त्वद्विधैःby people like you

शिष्टसम्मतैःapproved by the learned

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Accept what is reasonable even when it concerns your own side, speak beneficial words at the proper time, and treat the judgment of the cultured as authoritative—especially if you are expected to live up to the standards of the wise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma continues giving ethical counsel, emphasizing timely, welfare-oriented speech and the duty to heed the opinions of virtuous, well-conducted elders.