Shloka 12
या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर्या न जीर्य॑ति जीर्यत: । योडसौ प्राणान्तिको रोगस्तां तृष्णां त्यजत: सुखम्,खोटी बुद्धिवाले मूढ़ पुरुषोंके लिये जिसका त्याग करना कठिन है, जो शरीरके जराजीर्ण हो जानेपर भी स्वयं जीर्ण न होकर नयी-नवेली ही बनी रहती है तथा जिसे प्राणान््तकालतक रहनेवाला रोग माना गया है, उस तृष्णाको जो त्याग देता है, उसीको परम सुख मिलता है
yā dustyajā durmatibhir yā na jīryati jīryataḥ | yo 'sau prāṇāntiko rogas tāṁ tṛṣṇāṁ tyajataḥ sukham ||
Bhishma said: That craving which is hard for the misguided to abandon, which does not grow old even when the body grows old, and which is regarded as a disease that lasts until one’s final breath—whoever casts off that thirst, for him there is true happiness.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Craving (tṛṣṇā) is portrayed as an enduring illness that persists even as the body ages; real happiness comes from abandoning this insatiable desire through discernment and self-restraint.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira, emphasizing inner discipline: the conquest of craving is presented as a decisive step toward peace and lasting well-being.