Shloka 137
Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)
तत्पुरे चैकमेवास्य गृहं यदधितिष्ठति । गृहे शयनमप्येक॑ निशायां यत्र लीयते
tatpure caikamevāsya gṛhaṁ yad adhitiṣṭhati | gṛhe śayanam apy ekaṁ niśāyāṁ yatra līyate ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Même dans cette cité, il n’a qu’une seule demeure qu’il occupe ; et dans cette demeure, qu’un seul lit — sur lequel il se retire la nuit. Il s’agit de peindre une vie de retenue, sans excès : même au cœur de l’opulence urbaine, il faut borner ses biens à ce qui est réellement nécessaire. »
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes moderation and non-accumulation: even when one has access to the comforts of a city, one should keep one’s needs limited—one dwelling, one bed—cultivating contentment and freedom from greed.
Bhīṣma is describing an idealized mode of living (or the conduct of a disciplined person): the person resides in a city yet maintains minimal personal arrangements—only one residence and one sleeping place—illustrating ethical self-control.