Shloka 36
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
प्रत्युपस्थितकालस्य सुखस्य परिवर्जनम् । अनागतसुखाशा च नैव बुद्धिमतां नयः,“जिसके सुलभ होनेका समय आ गया हो, उस सुखको त्याग देना और भविष्यमें मिलनेवाले सुखकी आशा करना--यह बुद्धिमानोंकी नीति नहीं है
pratyupasthitakālasya sukhasya parivarjanam | anāgatasukhāśā ca naiva buddhimatāṃ nayaḥ ||
Dijo Bhīṣma: Renunciar a una dicha cuyo tiempo ya ha llegado y que está al alcance de la mano, para poner la esperanza en una dicha que aún no ha venido, no es la norma ni la conducta prudente de los sabios.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wise conduct (nīti) values timely, available benefit: one should not discard a present, attainable good merely to chase an uncertain future pleasure.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and nīti. Here he offers a maxim on practical judgment—choosing what is timely and within reach rather than sacrificing it for speculative future gain.