Shloka 48
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
अरतिं दुर्जयां चैव घोरां तृष्णां च पार्थिव । स्पर्श निद्रां तथा तन्द्रीं दुर्जयां नृपसत्तम
aratiṁ durjayāṁ caiva ghorāṁ tṛṣṇāṁ ca pārthiva | sparśa-nidrāṁ tathā tandrīṁ durjayāṁ nṛpasattama ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Oh rey, hay fuerzas sumamente difíciles de vencer: la inquietud, la terrible sed de deseo, el señuelo del contacto sensual, el sueño y la languidez. Éstas dominan incluso al mejor de los soberanos si no se las refrena.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler (and any seeker of dharma) must master inner enemies—restlessness, craving, sensual indulgence, sleep, and lethargy—because they are ‘durjaya’ (hard to conquer) and can undermine right conduct and disciplined governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living and governance, Bhīṣma addresses the king and lists powerful obstacles of the mind and senses that must be restrained for ethical stability and effective rule.