Shloka 26

Devanagari script

न तृप्ति: प्रियलाभे<स्ति तृष्णा नाद्धि: प्रशाम्यति । सम्प्रज्वलति सा भूय: समिद्धिरिव पावक:,'प्रिय वस्तुओंका लाभ होनेसे कभी तृप्ति नहीं होती। बढ़ती हुई तृष्णा जलसे नहीं बुझती। ईंधन पाकर जलनेवाली आगके समान वह और भी प्रज्वलित होती जाती है

Transliteration

na tṛptiḥ priyalābhe 'sti tṛṣṇā nāddhiḥ praśāmyati | samprajvalati sā bhūyaḥ samiddhir iva pāvakaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “A person does not become satisfied by gaining what is dear; craving is not quenched by what is obtained. Rather, it flares up again and again—like fire that blazes more fiercely when it is fed with fuel.”

Word by Word

नnot

तृप्तिःsatisfaction, contentment

प्रियलाभेin the gaining of dear/desired things

अस्तिis/exists

तृष्णाcraving, thirst

नnot

अद्धिःsatiation, appeasement (quenching)

प्रशाम्यतिsubsides, is calmed/quenched

सम्प्रज्वलतिblazes forth, flares up

साthat (she/it), i.e., that craving

भूयःagain, further, more

समिद्धिःkindling, being well-fed (of fire)

इवlike, as

पावकःfire

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

fire (pāvaka)

fuel/kindling (samiddhi)

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?

Desire is intrinsically self-amplifying: obtaining beloved objects does not produce lasting contentment; it strengthens craving, just as fuel makes fire blaze more.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on right conduct and inner discipline, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira by using a vivid simile—fire and fuel—to warn that indulgence does not end longing but intensifies it.