Shloka 33
Adhyāya 159 — Dāna–Dakṣiṇā, Āpaddharma Measures, and Prāyaścitta Classifications
ये न हृष्यन्ति लाभेषु नालाभेषु व्यथन्ति च । निर्ममा निरहंकारा: सत्त्वस्था: समदर्शिन:
ye na hṛṣyanti lābheṣu nālābheṣu vyathanti ca | nirmamā nirahaṅkārāḥ sattvasthāḥ samadarśinaḥ ||
Bhishma said: Those who do not exult when gains come, nor sink into distress when gains fail; who are free from possessiveness and ego; who remain established in clarity (sattva) and look upon all with equal vision—such people embody the steadiness that dharma commends. Their inner balance makes them reliable guides in what is wholesome and unwholesome, because they are not driven by self-interest or agitation.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is supported by inner steadiness: do not be intoxicated by gain or crushed by loss; abandon possessiveness and ego; remain established in sattva and cultivate equal vision. Such equanimity makes one fit to discern and speak truthfully about what is auspicious and inauspicious.
In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the listener on the marks of truly virtuous and spiritually mature people. This verse characterizes them by their response to gain and loss and by their freedom from 'mine' and 'I', presenting them as exemplars worthy of trust and emulation.