Shloka 25
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
भवेस्त्वं यद्यपि त्वाब्यो न राजा न च दैवतम् । देवत्व॑ प्राप्य चेन्द्रत्वं नैव तुष्पेस्तथा सति
bhavestvaṁ yadyapi tvābhyo na rājā na ca daivatam | devatvaṁ prāpya cendratvaṁ naiva tuṣpeḥ tathā sati ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sekalipun engkau menjadi kaya, karena engkau seorang brahmana engkau tidak akan menjadi raja, dan juga bukan dewa. Dan sekalipun engkau meraih keilahian bahkan kedaulatan Indra, engkau tetap tidak akan puas dalam keadaan itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that unchecked desire is insatiable: even wealth, kingship, or divine power (even Indra’s status) cannot guarantee contentment. Ethical life requires cultivating satisfaction (tuṣṭi) rather than endlessly escalating ambitions.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma addresses a listener by highlighting the limits imposed by social role (brahmin vs. king) and, more importantly, the psychological truth that craving can persist even after attaining the highest worldly or heavenly positions.