Shloka 10

त्रिवर्गविचारः

Tri-varga Deliberation: Dharma, Artha, Kāma

Devanagari script

दमेन सदृशं धर्म नान्यं लोकेषु शुश्रुम ।।

Transliteration

damena sadṛśaṃ dharma nānyaṃ lokeṣu śuśruma | damo hi paramo loke praśastaḥ sarvadharmiṇām ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : «Dans les mondes, nous n’avons entendu parler d’aucun devoir comparable à la maîtrise de soi. En vérité, la retenue est tenue pour la plus haute vertu en ce monde, louée par tous ceux qui suivent le dharma.»

Word by Word

• दमेन: by/with self-control
• दमेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सदृशम्: similar/equal
• सदृशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma, virtue
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अन्यम्: another, other
• अन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• शुश्रुम: we have heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), First, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• परमः: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रशस्तः: praised, commended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from प्र-शंस्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वधर्मिणाम्: of all the righteous / of all followers of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वधर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Self-restraint (dama)—control of senses, impulses, and speech—is presented as the supreme dharma, the foundation that supports all other virtues and makes righteous conduct stable and effective.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on dharma after the war, emphasizing that among moral disciplines, self-control is universally praised as the highest.