Shloka 10
Śrī-nivāsa: Traits and Conditions for the Abode of Prosperity (श्री-निवासः)
जो अपने लिये कुछ नहीं चाहता, जिसका अन्तःकरण मूढ़तासे आच्छन्न है, जो थोड़ेमें ही संतोष कर लेते हैं, ऐसे मनुष्योंमें मैं भलीभाँति नित्य निवास नहीं करती हूँ ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
yo ’tmārthaṃ kiñcid api na kāṅkṣate, yasyāntaḥkaraṇaṃ mūḍhatayā āchannam, yaḥ alpenaiva saṃtuṣyati—tādṛśeṣu manuṣyeṣu ahaṃ (śrīḥ) samyak nityaṃ na nivāsāmi ||
svadharmaśīleṣu ca dharmavitsu vṛddhopasevānirate ca dānte |
kṛtātmani kṣāntipare samarthe kṣāntāsu dāntāsu tathā ’balāsu ||
Bhishma said: “I do not truly and constantly dwell among those people who desire nothing for themselves, whose inner mind is veiled by dullness, and who are satisfied with very little. But I abide among those who are devoted to their own duty, who understand dharma, who delight in serving elders, who are self-controlled—among the disciplined and self-possessed, among the patient and capable, among those who are forgiving and restrained, and likewise among the gentle (non-violent) ones.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prosperity (Śrī) is not portrayed as favoring mere lack of desire or minimal contentment when it is rooted in dullness; rather, she abides with those who actively live by svadharma, understand dharma, serve elders, practice self-restraint, and cultivate patience and forgiveness—virtues that make a person ethically steady and socially beneficial.
In Bhishma’s instruction (Anushasana Parva), he voices a teaching about where ‘Śrī’—fortune and auspiciousness—chooses to reside. The verse contrasts inert, deluded renunciation with disciplined, dharma-informed conduct, emphasizing that true auspiciousness accompanies virtue, self-mastery, and respectful service.