Shloka 41
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
अतिकक्लेशान् सहामीह नाहं बुद्धयाम्यबुद्धिमान् । निकृतो धननाशेन शये सर्वाज्भविज्वर:
atikleśān sahāmīha nāhaṁ buddhyāmy abuddhimān | nikṛto dhananāśena śaye sarvāṅgabhavajvaraḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Formerly I endured very severe hardships, yet in my folly I could not understand that craving for wealth itself is a source of suffering. Now, with my wealth destroyed and myself cut off from it, I lie down at ease—free from the feverish anxieties that once afflicted my whole being.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment to wealth and the craving for it generates pervasive anxiety (‘fever’). When that attachment is severed—even through loss—one can experience relief and inner rest. The ethical point is to cultivate discernment and non-possessiveness so peace does not depend on external possessions.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and life-aims, Bhishma reflects on his own experience: he once endured many troubles without realizing that desire for wealth was itself the cause. After losing wealth and being separated from it, he describes a newfound freedom from worry and the ability to rest peacefully.