Shloka 63

Adhyātma–Adhibhūta–Adhidaivata Correspondences and the Triguṇa Lakṣaṇas (Śānti-parva 301)

Devanagari script

पुण्यांश्व सात्त्विकान्‌ गन्धान्‌ स्पर्शजान्‌ देहसंश्रितान्‌ । छित्त्वा55शु ज्ञानशस्त्रेण तपोदण्डेन भारत,राजन्‌! भरतनन्दन! महाबुद्धिमान्‌ सांख्यके विद्वान्‌ सैकड़ों गुणोंके द्वारा गुणोंको, सैकड़ों दोषोंके द्वारा दोषोंको तथा सैकड़ों विचित्र हेतुओंसे विचित्र हेतुओंको तत्त्वतः जानकर व्यापक ज्ञानके प्रभावसे संसारको पानीके फेनके समान नश्वर, विष्णुकी सैकड़ों मायाओंसे ढँका हुआ, दीवारपर बने हुए चित्रके समान, नरकुलके समान सारहीन, अन्धकारसे भरे हुए गड़्ढेकी भाँति भयंकर, वर्षाकालके पानीके बुलबुलोंके समान क्षणभंगुर, सुखहीन, पराधीन, नष्टप्राय तथा कीचड़में फँसे हुए हाथीकी तरह रजोगुण और तमोगुणमें मग्न समझते हैं। इसलिये वे संतान आदिकी आसक्तिको दूर करके तपरूप दण्डसे युक्त विवेकरूपी शस्त्रसे राजस-तामस अशुभ गन्धोंको और सुन्दर शोभनीय सात््विक गन्धोंको तथा स्पर्शेन्द्रियके देहाश्रित भोगोंकी आसक्तिको शीघ्र ही काट डालते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | puṇyāṁś ca sāttvikān gandhān sparśajān dehasaṁśritān | chittvāśu jñānaśastreṇa tapodaṇḍena bhārata ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O Bharata, by swiftly cutting off—through the sword of true knowledge and the rod of austerity—the meritorious, sāttvic fragrances and the bodily, touch-born sensations that cling to the embodied state, the wise loosen their dependence on sense-experience. The ethical point is that even refined and ‘pure’ pleasures can bind when appropriated as ‘mine’; therefore the seeker disciplines both coarse and subtle attachments, using discernment and tapas to move toward freedom.”

Word by Word

पुण्यान्meritorious, pure

चand

सात्त्विकान्sattvic (of goodness)

गन्धान्smells, odors

स्पर्शजान्born of touch

देहसंश्रितान्resting in/attached to the body

छित्त्वाhaving cut off

आशुquickly

ज्ञानशस्त्रेणwith the weapon of knowledge

तपोदण्डेनwith the staff/rod of austerity

भारतO Bharata

राजन्O king

भरतनन्दनO delight of Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Bhārata (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)

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?

Even ‘good’ or refined (sāttvic) sense-pleasures can become bondage when one clings to them. Liberation-oriented ethics therefore requires cutting attachment to sensory objects through discriminative knowledge (jñāna) supported by disciplined austerity (tapas).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma continues a renunciatory, Sāṅkhya-leaning analysis: the wise person uses insight and austerity to sever bodily-based sense attachments (here, smell and touch are highlighted) as part of the path toward freedom.