Shloka 4
Adhyāya 177: Pañca-mahābhūta-vicāra and Vṛkṣa-jīva-lakṣaṇa
Five Elements Inquiry and the Status of Plant Life
उत्पन्नमिह लोके वै जन्मप्र भूति मानवम् । विविधान्युपवर्तन्ते दु:खानि च सुखानि च,“इस संसारमें जो भी मनुष्य उत्पन्न होता है (वह धनी हो या निर्धन) उसे जन्मसे ही नाना प्रकारके सुख-दु:ख प्राप्त होने लगते हैं
utpannam iha loke vai janmaprabhūti mānavam | vividhāny upavartante duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca ||
Bhishma said: In this world, from the very moment a human being is born—whether wealthy or poor—diverse experiences begin to arise: sorrows as well as joys, natural companions of embodied life.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
From birth itself, a human life naturally includes both pleasure and pain in many forms. Recognizing this helps cultivate steadiness, patience, and ethical clarity instead of being destabilized by inevitable fluctuations.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on life and dharma, introducing a reflective point: embodied existence inevitably brings alternating joys and sorrows from the very start.