Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यद्‌ यत्‌ त्यजति कामानां तत्‌ सुखस्याभिपूर्यते । कामस्य वशगो नित्यं दुःखमेव प्रपद्यते,“मनुष्य जिस-जिस कामनाको छोड़ देता है, उस-उसकी ओरसे सुखी हो जाता है। कामनाके वशीभूत होकर तो वह सर्वदा दुःख ही पाता है

Transliteration

yad yat tyajati kāmānāṁ tat sukhasyābhipūryate | kāmasya vaśago nityaṁ duḥkham eva prapadyate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Dans la mesure où l’on renonce aux désirs, on se trouve d’autant comblé de bonheur. Mais celui qui demeure sans cesse sous l’emprise du désir n’obtient rien d’autre que la peine.

Word by Word

यत्whatever (that which)

यत्whatever (each such)

त्यजतिabandons, gives up

कामानाम्of desires

तत्that (correspondingly)

सुखस्यof happiness

अभिपूर्यतेis filled/fulfilled, becomes complete

कामस्यof desire

वशगःsubmissive, under the control (of)

नित्यम्always

दुःखम्sorrow, suffering

एवindeed, only

प्रपद्यतेattains, falls into, meets with

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Happiness increases in direct proportion to the abandonment of desires; subservience to desire inevitably results in suffering. The verse promotes self-mastery and dispassion as ethical and spiritual disciplines.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Bhīṣma continues his counsel by stating a general principle about human psychology: relinquishing cravings brings contentment, whereas being ruled by craving leads to continual distress.