Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतावन्मात्रमेतद्धि भूतानां प्राज्ञलक्षणम्‌ | कालयुक्तो5प्युभयविच्छेषं॑ युक्त समाचरेत्‌

Transliteration

etāvanmātram etaddhi bhūtānāṁ prājñalakṣaṇam | kālayukto 'py ubhayaviccheṣaṁ yuktaḥ samācaret |

Translation

Bhishma dit : «Voilà, à vrai dire, la marque de la sagesse chez les êtres : ayant foi dans le fruit du dharma, ils se vouent à sa pratique. Même lié par le temps et le destin sous des circonstances contraires, celui qui discerne ce qu’il faut faire et ce qu’il ne faut pas faire doit agir avec justesse — choisir le dharma et le vivre autant que la situation le permet.»

Word by Word

• {'etāvanmātram': 'only this much

• to this extent alone', 'etat': 'this (teaching/point)', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'bhūtānām': 'of beings

• of living creatures', 'prājña-lakṣaṇam': 'mark/sign of the wise

• characteristic of discernment', 'kāla-yuktaḥ': 'joined with time

• subject to circumstances/time (often implying fate/adversity)', 'api': 'even

• although', 'ubhaya': 'both (twofold)', 'viccheṣam': 'distinction

• separation (here: between two alternatives)', 'yuktaḥ': 'fit

• appropriate', 'samācaret': 'should practice/perform

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wisdom is shown by discerning duty from non-duty and continuing to practice dharma appropriately even when circumstances (kāla) are unfavorable, trusting that dharma bears fruit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on ethical conduct: the wise do not abandon dharma due to adverse fate or timing, but act rightly within what is possible.