Shloka 102

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

साते न व्यथते बुद्धिरचला तत्त्वदर्शिनी

Transliteration

sāte na vyathate buddhir acalā tattvadarśinī

Translation

Dijo Bhīṣma: En tal estado, la mente y la inteligencia no se turban; permanecen firmes e inmóviles, pues ven la realidad tal cual es. En lo ético, el verso ensalza la estabilidad interior nacida del recto entendimiento: un discernimiento sereno que no se deja arrastrar por ganancia y pérdida, placer y dolor, temor y deseo.

Word by Word

• साते: in/at the (state of) endurance/forbearance
• साते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• व्यथते: is distressed / wavers
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यथ् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

• बुद्धिः: intellect, understanding
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अचला: unmoving, steady
• अचला: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्त्वदर्शिनी: seeing the truth / truth-discerning
• तत्त्वदर्शिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्वदर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True insight (tattva-darśana) produces an unshakable buddhi: when one understands reality correctly, the discerning mind remains steady and is not disturbed by changing circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and inner discipline. Here he describes the mark of genuine wisdom: a stable, truth-seeing intellect that does not waver.