Shloka 5

त्रिवर्गविचारः

Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि येन श्रेयो हवाप्स्यसि । पीत्वामृतमिव प्राज्ञो ज्ञानतृप्तो भविष्यसि

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | hanta te kathayiṣyāmi yena śreyo hy avāpsyasi | pītvāmṛtam iva prājño jñāna-tṛpto bhaviṣyasi ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Ven; te diré el medio por el cual alcanzarás el verdadero bienestar. Así como quien bebe néctar queda plenamente satisfecho, así también tú, al volverte sabio, quedarás colmado por completo con este conocimiento».

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'hanta': 'come!, well then

• an emphatic opening', 'te': 'to you', 'kathayiṣyāmi': 'I will explain / I will tell', 'yena': 'by which

• through which means', 'śreyaḥ': 'the good

• spiritual benefit', 'hi (hy)': 'indeed

• surely', 'avāpsyasi': 'you will obtain

• you will attain', 'pītvā': 'having drunk', 'amṛtam': 'nectar

• immortality-conferring drink', 'iva': 'like

• as if', 'prājñaḥ': 'a wise person

• one endowed with discernment', 'jñāna': 'knowledge

• insight (especially dharmic/spiritual understanding)', 'tṛptaḥ': 'satisfied

• fulfilled', 'bhaviṣyasi': 'you will become'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied addressee)
• amṛta (nectar)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames dharmic instruction as a practical ‘means’ (upāya) to śreyas—lasting welfare—stressing that true knowledge brings inner fulfillment comparable to the complete satisfaction of drinking amṛta.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s post-war instruction, Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira and promises to explain a teaching that will lead him to spiritual and ethical well-being, preparing the listener for a sustained discourse on dharma and right conduct.