Shloka 4
Doṣa-Parīkṣā and Guṇa-Viveka
Examination of Faults and Discernment of the Guṇas
अनित्यं यौवन रूप॑ं जीवित द्रव्यसंचय: । आरोग्यं प्रियसंवासो गृध्येत् तत्र न पण्डित:,यौवन, रूप, जीवन, धन-संग्रह, आरोग्य और प्रियजनोंका समागम--ये सब अनित्य हैं। विवेकशील पुरुषोंको इनमें आसक्त नहीं होना चाहिये
anityaṁ yauvana-rūpaṁ jīvita-dravya-saṁcayaḥ | ārogyaṁ priya-saṁvāso gṛdhyet tatra na paṇḍitaḥ ||
Youth and beauty, life itself and the hoarding of wealth, health and the company of those one loves—all these are impermanent. Therefore, a discerning person should not cling to them.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
All commonly desired supports of worldly identity—youth, beauty, life, wealth, health, and even beloved companionship—are unstable. Wisdom lies in not fastening the mind to them with craving, but in cultivating discernment and steadiness rooted in dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on right living after the war. Here he underscores the fleeting nature of worldly conditions to guide the king toward restraint, clarity, and dharmic governance without attachment.