Shloka 14

बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency

Mahābhārata 12.217

Devanagari script

श्रियं दिव्यामभिप्रेप्सुर्वर्ष्मान्‌ मनसा शुचि: । शारीरैनियमैश्ग्रैक्षरेन्नरिष्कल्मषं तप:,जो दिव्य सम्पत्ति अर्थात्‌ ब्रह्मज्ञान प्राप्त करना चाहे, उस देहधारी पुरुषको अपना मन शुद्ध रखना चाहिये और शरीरसे कठोर नियमोंका पालन करते हुए निर्दोष तपका अनुष्ठान करना चाहिये

Transliteration

śriyaṃ divyām abhiprepsur varṣmān manasā śuciḥ | śārīra-niyamaiś ca ugraiḥ caret niriṣkalmaṣaṃ tapaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “One who longs to attain the divine glory—supreme spiritual excellence—should keep the mind pure. While living in the body, he should observe rigorous bodily disciplines and practice austerity that is free from blemish, so that it becomes a faultless means toward higher realization.”

Word by Word

श्रियम्prosperity, glory

दिव्याम्divine

अभिप्रेप्सुःdesiring to obtain

वर्ष्मान्excellence, greatness (lit. height/eminence)

मनसाwith the mind

शुचिःpure

शारीरैःbodily, physical

नियमैःby disciplines, observances

ग्रैक्षरेत्should practice/undertake

निरिष्कल्मषम्stainless, free from sin/impurity

तपःausterity, penance

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes