Shloka 80
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
विजिततश्न त्वया मृत्युर्यो5यं त्वामनुगच्छति । रन्ध्रान्वेषी तव सदा त्वया धृत्या वशी कृत:
vijita-tṛṣṇā tvayā mṛtyur yo ’yaṁ tvām anugacchati | randhrānveṣī tava sadā tvayā dhṛtyā vaśī kṛtaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Tu as vaincu cette Mort qui te suit—toujours en quête d’une faille, toujours à chercher une ouverture. Par ta constance et ta maîtrise de toi, tu as soumis la Mort elle-même.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Freedom from craving (tṛṣṇā) and unwavering endurance (dhṛti) remove the ‘openings’ through which fear and mortality dominate the mind; thus even Death is portrayed as being subdued by inner mastery.
Bhishma praises the addressed person’s spiritual and moral strength, describing Death as a constant pursuer looking for vulnerabilities, and declares that through steadfast resolve the person has effectively ‘conquered’ Death.