Shloka 16

Devanagari script

जो सामूहिक बल और पुरुषार्थसे सम्पन्न हैं, उन्हें अनायास ही सब प्रकारके अभीष्ट पदार्थोंकी प्राप्ति हो जाती है। संघबद्ध होकर जीवन-निर्वाह करनेवाले लोगोंके साथ संघसे बाहरके लोग भी मैत्री स्थापित करते हैं ।। ज्ञानवृद्धा: प्रशंसन्ति शुश्रूषन्त: परस्परम्‌ । विनिवृत्ताभि संधाना: सुखमेधन्ति सर्वश:,ज्ञानवृद्ध पुरुष गणराज्यके नागरिकोंकी प्रशंसा करते हैं। संघबद्ध लोगोंके मनमें आपसमें एक-दूसरेको ठगनेकी दुर्भावना नहीं होती। वे सभी एक-दूसरेकी सेवा करते हुए सुखपूर्वक उन्नति करते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | jñānavṛddhāḥ praśaṃsanti śuśrūṣantaḥ parasparam | vinivṛttābhisandhānāḥ sukham edhanti sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: The wise and experienced commend such people: serving one another, free from schemes of deceit, they prosper happily in every way. In ethical terms, Bhishma praises the strength of collective life—where mutual service replaces suspicion—because it naturally brings stability, trust, and the attainment of desired ends.

Word by Word

ज्ञानवृद्धाःthe wise/elder in knowledge

प्रशंसन्तिpraise

शुश्रूषन्तःserving, attending upon

परस्परम्mutually, one another

विनिवृत्ताभिःwith those who have turned back/ceased (from)

संधानाःunions/alliances; concords

सुखम्happiness, well-being

एधन्तिprosper, thrive

सर्वशःin every way, altogether

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A community flourishes when its members serve one another and abandon deceitful intentions; wise elders praise such mutual trust as the basis of stable prosperity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs on righteous governance and social well-being; here he highlights how collective life grounded in mutual service and freedom from intrigue leads to happiness and growth.