Shloka 13

Śvetadvīpa-varṇana and Śāstra-pravartana (Śānti Parva 322)

Devanagari script

सम्मानश्चावमानश्ष लाभालाभौ क्षयोदयौ । प्रवृत्ता विनिवर्तन्ते विधानान्ते पदे पदे

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sammānaś cāvamānaś ca lābhālābhau kṣayodayau | pravṛttā vinivartante vidhānānte pade pade ||

Translation

Bhishma said: Honor and dishonor, gain and loss, decline and rise—these arise at every step in accord with the ordained course, shaped by deeds of former lives. When their destined fruit has been undergone, they subside again. Therefore one should not be shaken by them, but remain steady in dharma.

Word by Word

• सम्मानः: honour
• सम्मानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अवमानः: dishonour
• अवमानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवमान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लाभौ: gain (pair-member)
• लाभौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अलाभौ: non-gain/loss (pair-member)
• अलाभौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलाभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• क्षयौ: decline (pair-member)
• क्षयौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उदयौ: rise (pair-member)
• उदयौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• प्रवृत्ताः: having arisen/come into operation
• प्रवृत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विनिवर्तन्ते: cease/turn back/come to an end
• Type: Verb
• Root: विनि√वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• विधानान्ते: at the end of the dispensation/ordained course
• विधानान्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधानान्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पदे: in a step/at a place
• पदे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पदे: in a step/at a place (repeated: 'at every step')
• पदे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worldly opposites—honor/dishonor, gain/loss, rise/decline—are transient and unfold according to the ordained course shaped by past actions. Since they end after their destined fruition, one should cultivate steadiness and not let them disturb one’s commitment to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous living after the war. Here he emphasizes a practical ethical stance: do not be elated by success or crushed by setbacks, because such conditions repeatedly arise and pass away as part of the karmic order.