Shloka 119
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
प्रसादं शड्करात् प्राप्प दु:खिता: सुखमाप्तनुवन् । ते विस्मिता: प्रह्ृष्टाश्न पुत्रसंजीवनात् पुन:
prasādaṃ śaṅkarāt prāpya duḥkhitāḥ sukham āptavantaḥ | te vismitāḥ prahṛṣṭāś ca putrasaṃjīvanāt punaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Having obtained the gracious favor of Śaṅkara, those afflicted people attained happiness. When their son was restored to life again, they were struck with wonder and filled with joy—recognizing it as the compassion of the blessed Lord Śaṅkara.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sorrow can be transformed through divine grace (prasāda). The verse highlights a devotional ethic: humility and receptivity to the Lord’s compassion lead to relief and renewed hope, here symbolized by the restoration of life.
Bhīṣma narrates that certain grief-stricken people received Śaṅkara’s favor; as a result they regained happiness. When their son was brought back to life again, they became astonished and joyful, recognizing the event as Śaṅkara’s compassionate intervention.