Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तेजो दमेन धप्रियते तन्न तीक्ष्णोडधिगच्छति । अमित्रांश्व बहुन्‌ नित्यं पृथगात्मनि पश्यति,दमसे ही तेजको धारण किया जाता है, जिसमें दमका अभाव है, वह तीव्र कामवाला रजोगुणी पुरुष उस तेजको नहीं धारण कर सकता और सदा काम, क्रोध आदि बहुत-से शत्रुओंको अपनेसे पृथक्‌ अनुभव करता है

Transliteration

tejo damena dhriyate tan na tīkṣṇo ’dhigacchati | amitrāṁś ca bahūn nityaṁ pṛthag ātmani paśyati ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Splendour and inner power are sustained by self-restraint (dama). One who is sharp and impetuous, lacking restraint, cannot truly hold that radiance. Such a passion-driven person continually perceives many enemies—like desire and anger—as forces separate from the self, and thus remains inwardly divided and vulnerable.”

Word by Word

तेजःsplendour, energy

दमेनby self-control

ध्रियतेis sustained/held

तत्that (splendour)

नnot

तीक्ष्णःsharp, violent, impetuous

उदधिगच्छतिattains, reaches, obtains

अमित्रान्enemies (inner foes)

चand

बहून्many

नित्यम्always

पृथक्separately, as distinct

आत्मनिin oneself

पश्यतिsees, perceives

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

True tejas (inner radiance and strength) is preserved by dama (self-restraint). Without restraint, a person becomes driven by passion and harshness, loses inner stability, and experiences desire, anger, and similar impulses as hostile forces that overpower the self.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and inner discipline. Here he explains that moral-spiritual power is not mere intensity; it depends on restraint, and lack of restraint leads to continual conflict with one’s own inner ‘enemies’.