Shloka 8
संकल्पाज्जायते काम: सेव्यमानो विवर्धते
saṅkalpāj jāyate kāmaḥ sevyamāno vivardhate
Bhīṣma said: Desire is born from deliberate intention; when it is indulged and repeatedly pursued, it grows ever stronger. In ethical terms, the mind’s initial resolve becomes the seed of craving, and continued gratification turns that craving into a binding force that undermines self-mastery and dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire does not appear randomly; it begins with saṅkalpa (a chosen mental resolve). If one keeps indulging that desire, it strengthens and becomes harder to restrain. Therefore, ethical discipline starts by guarding intention and limiting indulgence.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira about the psychology of desire: how it originates in the mind’s resolve and how repeated pursuit makes it grow, urging restraint and mindful governance of thought.