Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 11
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
अहो सिद्धार्थता तेषां येषां सन्तीह पाणय: । अतीव स्पृहये तेषां येषां सन््तीह पाणय:
aho siddhārthatā teṣāṁ yeṣāṁ santīha pāṇayaḥ | atīva spṛhaye teṣāṁ yeṣāṁ santīha pāṇayaḥ ||
अहो! जिनके पास इस लोक में हाथ हैं, वे सचमुच कृतार्थ हैं। जिनके पास यहाँ हाथ हैं, उनके-से सौभाग्य की मैं अत्यन्त अभिलाषा करता हूँ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights gratitude for the human body and its instruments of action: having ‘hands’ symbolizes the power to perform dharma—service, charity, protection, and disciplined effort. One should not take basic capacities for granted, but recognize them as a providential opportunity for righteous action.
In the reflective instruction of Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma speaks in a contemplative tone, emphasizing how even ordinary bodily faculties are a form of fortune. The verse reads like a lament or self-reproach that underscores the value of embodied agency in pursuing ethical and spiritual aims.