Shloka 25
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
भवेस्त्वं यद्यपि त्वाब्यो न राजा न च दैवतम् । देवत्व॑ प्राप्य चेन्द्रत्वं नैव तुष्पेस्तथा सति,“यदि आप धनी हो जायाँ तो भी ब्राह्मण होनेके कारण राजा नहीं हो सकते। यदि कदाचित् राजा हो जायाँ तो देवता नहीं हो सकते। देवता और इन्द्रका पद भी पा जायाँ तो भी आप उतनेसे संतुष्ट नहीं रह सकेंगे
bhavestvaṁ yadyapi tvābhyo na rājā na ca daivatam | devatvaṁ prāpya cendratvaṁ naiva tuṣpeḥ tathā sati ||
Bhīṣma said: “Even if you were to become wealthy, being a brahmin you would not be a king, nor would you be a god. And even if you attained godhood and even the sovereignty of Indra, you still would not be satisfied in that condition.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that unchecked desire is insatiable: even wealth, kingship, or divine power (even Indra’s status) cannot guarantee contentment. Ethical life requires cultivating satisfaction (tuṣṭi) rather than endlessly escalating ambitions.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma addresses a listener by highlighting the limits imposed by social role (brahmin vs. king) and, more importantly, the psychological truth that craving can persist even after attaining the highest worldly or heavenly positions.