Shloka 18

अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था

Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire

Devanagari script

निवर्तस्व विधित्साभ्य: शाम्य निर्विद्य कामुक | असकृच्चासि निकृतो न च निर्विद्यसे ततः

Transliteration

nivartasva vidhitsābhyaḥ śāmya nirvidya kāmuka | asakṛc cāsi nikṛto na ca nirvidyase tataḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Turn back from your restless pursuits. Become calm, and, with dispassion, settle into peace. Though you have been deceived again and again in the chase for wealth and desire, you still do not grow disenchanted with it.”

Word by Word

• निवर्तस्व: turn back; desist
• Type: Verb
• Root: निवृत् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• विधित्साभ्यः: from (all) intended undertakings/efforts
• विधित्साभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधित्सा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन

• शाम्य: be calm; pacify (yourself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• निर्विद्य: having become dispassionate; having felt disgust
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्विद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• कामुक: O lustful/desire-driven one
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• असकृत्: again and again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• निकृतः: deceived; cheated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निकृत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from नि+कृ/कृन्त् sense ‘deceive’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• निर्विद्यसे: you become dispassionate; you feel disgust
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• ततः: therefore; from that (cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mind (as addressed: kāmuka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desire-driven striving repeatedly leads to disappointment; therefore one should withdraw from compulsive pursuits, cultivate calm, and develop dispassion (vairāgya) to attain inner peace.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhīṣma speaks in an admonitory tone, addressing the desire-addicted mind and urging it to stop chasing external gains and to adopt tranquility and detachment.