Shloka 56
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
सुप्रसन्ना हि ते देवा यत्ते धर्मे रता मतिः । धने सुखकला काचिद् धर्मे तु परमं सुखम्
suprasannā hi te devā yatte dharme ratā matiḥ | dhane sukhakalā kācid dharme tu paramaṁ sukham, rājan |
Bhishma said: “The gods are indeed greatly pleased with you, O king, because your mind is devoted to dharma. In wealth there is only a tiny fragment of happiness; the highest happiness, however, is found in dharma alone.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True and lasting happiness is rooted in dharma (righteous conduct and moral order), while wealth yields only a small and unstable measure of pleasure; therefore one should anchor one’s mind in dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king, praising him because his intellect is inclined toward dharma, and he reinforces a key royal-ethical lesson: prosperity is secondary, whereas dharma is the highest good and the source of supreme happiness.