Shloka 40

Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154

Devanagari script

शोकं त्यजत दैन्यं च सुतस्नेहान्निवर्तत । त्यज्यतामयमाकाशे तत:ः शीघ्र निवर्तत,शोक और दीनताको छोड़ो तथा पुत्रस्नेहोहे मनको हटा लो। इस बालकको इसी सूने स्थानमें छोड़ दो और शीघ्र लौट जाओ

Transliteration

śokaṃ tyajata dainyaṃ ca sutasnehān nivartata | tyajyatām ayam ākāśe tataḥ śīghraṃ nivartata ||

Translation

Bhīṣma bersabda: Tinggalkan duka dan keputusasaan, dan tariklah hatimu dari keterikatan pada putramu. Tinggalkan anak ini di tempat sunyi ini, lalu segeralah kembali.

Word by Word

शोकम्grief

त्यजतabandon (you all)

दैन्यम्dejection, wretchedness

चand

सुत-स्नेहात्from affection for (one's) son

निवर्ततturn back, desist (you all)

त्यज्यताम्let (him/it) be abandoned

अयम्this (one)

आकाशेin the open space / in the sky

ततःfrom there, then

शीघ्रम्quickly

निवर्ततreturn (you all)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

a child (bālaka)

son (suta) as the object of attachment

a lonely/open place (ākāśa / deserted spot)

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?

Bhishma urges mastery over grief and dejection by consciously withdrawing from binding attachment (here, parental affection). The ethical thrust is that clear judgment and dharmic action require steadiness of mind rather than being driven by sorrow.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction within the Shanti Parva, he addresses people overwhelmed by sorrow over a child/son, telling them to stop lamenting, set aside despair, leave the child in the deserted place, and return promptly—an admonition emphasizing restraint and detachment in a difficult situation.