Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कुशल: सुखदु:खानां साधूंश्नाप्पथ सेवते । तस्य साधुसमाचारादभ्यासाच्चैव वर्धते,जो पुरुष अपनी बुद्धिसे राग आदि दोषोंको पहले ही देख लेता है, वह सुख-दुःखको समझनेमें कुशल होता है। फिर वह श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंका सेवन करता है। सत्पुरुषोंकी सेवा या सत्संगसे और सत्कर्मोंके अभ्याससे उस पुरुषकी बुद्धि बढ़ती है

Transliteration

kuśalaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ sādhūn snāppatha sevate | tasya sādhusamācārād abhyāsāc caiva vardhate |

Translation

Bhishma said: One who is discerning about pleasure and pain becomes truly skilled in understanding them. Such a person seeks the company of the virtuous and follows the right path. Through the good conduct of the righteous—by serving and associating with them—and through steady practice of noble actions, that person’s understanding and wisdom steadily grow.

Word by Word

कुशलःskilled, proficient

सुखदुःखानाम्of pleasures and pains

साधून्the good/virtuous people

आप्नोतिattains, obtains

पथम्path, way

सेवतेserves, associates with, resorts to

तस्यof him

साधु-समाचारात्from the good conduct of the virtuous

अभ्यासात्from practice, repeated exercise

चand

एवindeed, just

वर्धतेgrows, increases

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?

Wisdom grows when one clearly understands pleasure and pain, keeps company with the virtuous, and repeatedly practices righteous conduct; discernment plus satsanga plus disciplined practice leads to increasing buddhi (understanding).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on ethical living and inner cultivation, emphasizing that association with good people and consistent practice of good actions strengthens a person’s intelligence and moral clarity.