Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कल्याणं कुरुते बाढं धीमान्‌ न ग्लायते क्वचित्‌ । प्रशान्तवाड्मना नित्यं ह्ीस्तु धर्मादवाप्यते,जो बुद्धिमान्‌ पुरुष भलीभाँति दूसरोंका कल्याण करता है और मनमें कभी खेद नहीं मानता, जिसकी मन-वाणी सदा शान्त रहती है, वह लज्जाशील माना जाता है। यह लज्जा नामक गुण धर्मके आचरणसे प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

kalyāṇaṁ kurute bāḍhaṁ dhīmān na glāyate kvacit | praśāntavāḍmanā nityaṁ hrīst(u) dharmād avāpyate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: A wise man who earnestly works for the welfare of others never sinks into dejection. One whose mind and speech remain continually calm is known as possessing modesty (hrī), and this quality is attained through the practice of dharma.

Word by Word

• {'kalyāṇam': 'welfare, good, auspicious benefit', 'kurute': 'does, performs, brings about', 'bāḍham': 'firmly, intensely, earnestly', 'dhīmān': 'wise, intelligent, discerning', 'na': 'not', 'glāyate': 'droops, becomes despondent, is dejected', 'kvacit': 'anywhere, ever, at any time', 'praśānta': 'calm, tranquil, pacified', 'vāk': 'speech', 'manas': 'mind', 'praśāntavāḍmanā': 'with calm speech and mind (instrumental compound)', 'nityam': 'always, continually', 'hrīḥ': 'modesty, shame in the sense of moral restraint, bashfulness', 'dharma': 'righteous conduct, moral law, duty', 'dharmāt': 'from dharma

• through dharma (ablative)', 'avāpyate': 'is obtained, is attained'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True modesty (hrī) is not mere shyness; it is a moral restraint that arises from living by dharma. The wise person actively promotes others’ welfare, remains free from dejection, and maintains calmness in mind and speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira by defining the marks and source of the virtue called hrī (modesty/restraint), linking it to beneficent action, inner composure, and dharmic practice.