Shloka 52
Kṣemadarśa–Kālakavṛkṣīya Saṃvāda: Counsel on Impermanence, Non-attachment, and Composure in Dispossession
सदृशं पण्डितस्यै तदीषादन्तेन दन्तिना । यदेको रमते<रण्येष्वारण्ये नैव तुष्यति
sadṛśaṃ paṇḍitasya etad īṣādantena dantinā | yad eko ramate 'raṇyeṣv āraṇye naiva tuṣyati ||
Bhishma said: This is what truly befits a learned and discerning man: that he should wander alone in the forests, keeping company even with a wild tusked elephant with great, ploughshare-like tusks, and that he should remain content with what the wilderness itself provides—leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots—without craving anything beyond the life of the forest.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wisdom is shown by independence from comforts and social dependence: the learned person can live alone in the forest, accept simple natural food, and remain free from craving—content with minimal needs and steady in self-control.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and the ideals of restraint and renunciation. Here he describes the conduct suitable for a true paṇḍita: solitary forest-dwelling, unafraid even among wild creatures, and satisfied with what nature offers.