Shloka 20

Durgātitaraṇa—Conduct for Crossing Difficulties (दुर्गातितरणम्)

Devanagari script

जो दूसरोंसे सम्मान नहीं चाहते, जो स्वयं ही दूसरोंको सम्मान देते हैं और सम्माननीय पुरुषोंको नमस्कार करते हैं, वे दुर्लघ्य संकटोंसे पार हो जाते हैं ।। येच श्राद्धानि कुर्वन्ति तिथ्यां तिथ्यां प्रजार्थिन: । सुविशुद्धेन मनसा दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते,जो संतानकी इच्छा रखकर प्रत्येक तिथिपर विशुद्ध हृदयसे पितरोंका श्राद्ध करते हैं, वे दुर्गम विपत्तिसे छुटकारा पा जाते हैं

Transliteration

yo dūsarebhyaḥ sammānaṁ na icchanti, ye svayam eva dūsarān sammānaṁ dadati ca sammānīyān puruṣān namaskurvanti, te durlaṅghyān saṅkaṭān atitaranti. ye ca śrāddhāni kurvanti tithyāṁ tithyāṁ prajārthinaḥ, suviśuddhena manasā durgāṇy atitaranti te.

Translation

Bhishma berkata: Mereka yang tidak menginginkan kehormatan dari orang lain, yang justru menghormati orang lain dan menunduk kepada mereka yang patut dimuliakan—mereka menyeberangi kesukaran yang nyaris tak terlampaui. Demikian pula, mereka yang menginginkan keturunan dan pada setiap tithi melaksanakan śrāddha bagi para leluhur dengan batin yang sepenuhnya suci, mereka pun melampaui malapetaka yang sukar ditembus.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

चand

श्राद्धानिśrāddha rites

कुर्वन्तिdo, perform

तिथ्याम्on a lunar day (tithi)

तिथ्याम्on each (every) tithi

प्रजार्थिनःdesiring offspring

सुविशुद्धेनwith very pure

मनसाwith mind, with heart

दुर्गाणिdifficulties, dangers, hardships

अतितरन्तिcross over, overcome

तेthey

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Pitṛs (ancestors)

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?

Bhīṣma teaches that humility and active respect—not craving recognition, honoring others, and bowing to the truly venerable—create moral strength that helps one overcome severe crises. He adds that sincere, pure-minded performance of ancestral śrāddha, especially by one seeking progeny, is also presented as a dharmic support that carries a person through difficult misfortunes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he is listing conduct and observances that protect a person in adversity: social-ethical discipline (humility and honoring the worthy) and ritual-ancestral duty (regular śrāddha performed with purity of intention).