Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अब मैं सैकड़ों दिन-रातोंतक साधन करके भी क्‍या कभी वह उपाय कर सकता हूँ, जिससे आज सियारकी योनिमें पड़ा हुआ मैं पुनः वह मनुष्ययोनि पा सकूँ ।। संतुष्टश्षाप्रमत्तश्न॒ यज्ञदानतपोरति: । ज्ञेयज्ञाता भवेयं वै वर्ज्यवर्जयिता तथा,“जिस मनुष्ययोनिमें मैं संतुष्ट और सावधान रहकर यज्ञ, दान और तपस्यामें लगा रह सकूँ, जिसमें मैं जाननेयोग्य वस्तुको जान लूँ और त्यागनेयोग्य वस्तुका त्याग कर दूँ"

Transliteration

santuṣṭaś cāpramattaś ca yajña-dāna-tapo-ratiḥ | jñeyaṃ jñātvā bhaveyaṃ vai varjyaṃ varjayitā tathā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “May I again attain a human birth—one in which I remain content and vigilant, devoted to sacrifice, charity, and austerity; in which I truly understand what ought to be known, and likewise renounce what ought to be renounced.”

Word by Word

सन्तुष्टःcontent, satisfied

अप्रमत्तःvigilant, not careless

यज्ञsacrifice, ritual

दानgift, charity

तपोausterity, penance

रतिःdelight, devotion/attachment

ज्ञेयthat which is to be known

ज्ञाताknower

भवेयम्may I become

वैindeed, surely

वर्ज्यthat which should be avoided

वर्जयिताone who avoids, avoider

तथाthus, likewise

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ideal human life: contentment without complacency (santuṣṭa yet apramatta), active commitment to yajña–dāna–tapas, clear discernment of what is truly worth knowing (jñeya), and disciplined avoidance of what should be abandoned (varjya).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma voices a longing for a renewed human birth in which he can practice dharma properly—living with steady awareness, performing meritorious disciplines, gaining right knowledge, and renouncing harmful or unworthy pursuits.