Shloka 5

बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency

Mahābhārata 12.217

Devanagari script

तां गतिं परमामेति निवृत्तिपरमो मुनि: । ज्ञानतत्त्वपरो नित्यं शुभाशुभनिदर्शक:

Transliteration

tāṃ gatiṃ paramām eti nivṛttiparamo muniḥ | jñānatattvaparo nityaṃ śubhāśubhanidarśakaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Le sage voué au renoncement, toujours appliqué au principe véritable de la connaissance, et qui distingue l’auspicieux de l’inauspicieux par l’œil de la sagesse—celui-là atteint le but suprême.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (goal/state)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतिम्: course; state; goal
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एति: goes; attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्त्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

• निवृत्ति-परमः: having renunciation as the highest (aim)
• निवृत्ति-परमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवृत्ति + परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्ञान-तत्त्व-परः: devoted to the principle of knowledge / knowledge-truth
• ज्ञान-तत्त्व-परः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + तत्त्व + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always; constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभावे)

• शुभ-अशुभ-निदर्शकः: one who discerns/shows the good and the bad
• शुभ-अशुभ-निदर्शकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + अशुभ + निदर्शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• muni (sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Supreme attainment comes to the sage who prioritizes nivṛtti (withdrawal/renunciation), remains steadily devoted to the truth of knowledge (jñāna-tattva), and ethically discerns what is wholesome (śubha) and unwholesome (aśubha).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by describing the qualities of a true sage and stating that such a person reaches the highest spiritual goal.