Shloka 14

Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa

Devanagari script

परासुता क्रोधलोभादभ्यासाच्च प्रवर्तते । दयया सर्वभूतानां निर्वेदात्‌ सा निवर्तते

Transliteration

parāsutā krodha-lobhād abhyāsāc ca pravartate | dayayā sarva-bhūtānāṁ nirvedāt sā nivartate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : L’impulsion de tuer autrui (parāsutā) naît de la colère, de l’avidité et de la force de l’habitude. Elle prend fin par la compassion envers tous les êtres vivants et par le détachement (vairāgya), ce retournement intérieur loin de la violence.

Word by Word

• परासुता: desire/impulse to kill others
• परासुता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परासुता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रोध: from anger
• क्रोध: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अभ्यासात्: from habit/practice
• अभ्यासात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यास
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रवर्तते: arises/sets in; comes into operation
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• दयया: by compassion
• दयया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• निर्वेदात्: from dispassion/indifference (to violence)
• निर्वेदात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वेद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• सा: that (impulse), she/it
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (स)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निवर्तते: ceases/turns back; is restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Violence is not merely a sudden act; it is fueled by anger and greed and strengthened by habit. Its remedy is twofold: cultivate compassion for all beings (dayā) and develop dispassion (nirveda) that loosens attachment to harmful impulses.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and inner discipline after the war. Here he analyzes the causes of the desire to kill and prescribes ethical and psychological means—compassion and detachment—to restrain it.