Shloka 13
Adhyāya 177: Pañca-mahābhūta-vicāra and Vṛkṣa-jīva-lakṣaṇa
Five Elements Inquiry and the Status of Plant Life
त॑ वै सदा कामचरमनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम् । बाहूपधान शाम्यन्तं प्रशंसन्ति दिवौकस:
taṁ vai sadā kāmacaram anupastīrṇaśāyinam | bāhūpadhānaṁ śāmyantaṁ praśaṁsanti divaukasaḥ ||
Ia senantiasa bergerak menurut kehendaknya selaras dengan tatanan ilahi; tidur di tanah tanpa alas, menjadikan lengannya sendiri sebagai bantal, dan tetap tenteram. Para penghuni surga pun memujinya berulang-ulang.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse extols a dharmic ideal of simplicity and inner mastery: one who is content with minimal comforts, remains calm, and moves in harmony with higher order is worthy of praise—even by the gods. Ethical excellence is shown through restraint, non-dependence on luxuries, and steady tranquility.
Bhishma, in his Shanti Parva instruction, describes a virtuous person whose austere lifestyle and serene disposition mark him as exemplary. The description functions as a model of conduct within Bhishma’s broader discourse on dharma and right living after the war.