Shloka 18

दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint

Dama

Devanagari script

संजातैर्जायते गात्रै: कर्मजैर्वर्ष्मणा वृत: । दुःखाद्यन्तैर्दु:खमध्यैर्नर: शारीरमानसै:

Transliteration

sañjātair jāyate gātraiḥ karmajair varṣmaṇā vṛtaḥ | duḥkhādyantair duḥkhamadhyair naraḥ śārīramānasaiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: A man is born with limbs that have taken form through the force of past actions, clothed in a complete body. From beginning to middle and end, he remains afflicted by suffering—both bodily and mental—so long as he lives within embodied existence.

Word by Word

• संजातैः: by arisen/produced
• संजातैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संजात (सम्+√जन्, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• जायते: is born / comes into being
• जायते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• गात्रैः: with limbs
• गात्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कर्मजैः: born of karma
• कर्मजैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मज
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• वर्ष्मणा: with the body/frame
• वर्ष्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वृतः: covered/endowed
• वृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (√वृ, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुःख: sorrow/pain
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound-member), Singular

• आद्यन्तैः: with beginning and end
• आद्यन्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्यन्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• दुःखमध्यैः: having pain as the middle
• दुःखमध्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखमध्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शारीरमानसैः: bodily and mental
• शारीरमानसैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शारीरमानस
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nara (human being)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Embodied birth is shaped by karma, and embodied life is pervaded by physical and mental suffering from start to finish; this supports a reflective, renunciatory outlook and a search for liberation beyond mere bodily identification.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he describes the human condition: a person takes birth with a karma-formed body and inevitably experiences ongoing bodily and mental distress throughout life.