Shloka 20
Adhyāya 177: Pañca-mahābhūta-vicāra and Vṛkṣa-jīva-lakṣaṇa
Five Elements Inquiry and the Status of Plant Life
एवमेतानि दुःखानि तानि तानीह मानवम् | विविधान्युपपद्यन्ते गात्रसंस्पर्शजान्यपि,“इस प्रकार मनको तप्त करनेवाले और शरीरके स्पर्शसे होनेवाले ये नाना प्रकारके दुःख मनुष्यको प्राप्त होते हैं
evam etāni duḥkhāni tāni tānīha mānavam | vividhāny upapadyante gātra-saṁsparśa-jāny api ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Así, en este mundo, el ser humano se encuentra con esos mismos sufrimientos—muchos y diversos—unos que abrasan la mente y otros que nacen simplemente del contacto del cuerpo.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Suffering is an inevitable feature of embodied life: it comes in many forms, including mental anguish and pains caused by bodily contact. Recognizing this supports endurance, detachment, and ethical steadiness.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction, Bhishma continues advising on the realities of worldly life, emphasizing that diverse sufferings naturally befall human beings, including those rooted in the body’s very nature.