Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यथाशक्ति समाचारा: सम्प्रतुष्यन्ति हि प्रभो । नास्थाने क्रोधवन्तश्न न चाकस्माद्‌ विरागिण: । विरक्ताश्न न दुष्यन्ति मनसाप्यर्थकोविदा:

Transliteration

yathāśakti samācārāḥ sampratuṣyanti hi prabho | nāsthāne krodhavantaś ca na cākasmād virāgiṇaḥ | viraktāś ca na duṣyanti manasāpy arthakovidāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O lord, people become content when conduct is practiced according to one’s capacity. The wise are not wrathful without cause, nor do they become suddenly indifferent. Those who are detached and discerning in matters do not fall into fault—even in their minds.”

Word by Word

यथाas, according to

शक्तिability, capacity

समाचाराःgood conduct, proper practices

सम्प्रतुष्यन्तिbecome fully satisfied/pleased

हिindeed, for

प्रभोO lord

नnot

अस्थानेin an improper place/occasion

क्रोधवन्तःangry, wrathful

नnot

चand

आकस्मात्suddenly, without cause

विरागिणःdispassionate, detached

विरक्ताःdetached (having become dispassionate)

नnot

दुष्यन्तिare tainted, become corrupt

मनसाby mind, mentally

अपिeven, also

अर्थकोविदाःknowers of meaning/purpose

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

prabho (addressed lord/king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in context)

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?

Right conduct should be practiced in proportion to one’s capacity; true wisdom shows itself as restraint—no misplaced anger, no sudden fickle dispassion—and genuine detachment keeps even the mind from moral taint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva instruction, Bhishma continues advising the king on ethical governance and personal discipline, emphasizing measured practice, emotional regulation, and the inner (mental) dimension of righteousness.