Shloka 164

Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

स्वदेहेनाभिषजड़े मे कुत: परपरिग्रहे । न मामेवंविधां युक्तामीदृशं वक्तुमहसि,मेरी तो अपने ही शरीरमें आसक्ति नहीं है, फिर दूसरेके शरीरमें कैसे हो सकती है? इस प्रकार योगयुक्त रहनेवाली मुझ संन्यासिनीके प्रति आपको ऐसी बात नहीं कहनी चाहिये

Transliteration

svadehenābhiṣaṅgo me kutaḥ parapari-grahe | na mām evaṃvidhāṃ yuktām īdṛśaṃ vaktum arhasi ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Bahkan pada tubuhku sendiri aku tak melekat; bagaimana mungkin ada keterikatan pada tubuh atau milik orang lain? Engkau tak patut mengucapkan kata-kata semacam itu kepadaku, yang teguh dalam yoga dan hidup sebagai pelepas dunia.”

Word by Word

स्वदेहेनin/with (regard to) one’s own body

अभिषजड़ेin attachment/clinging

मेof me / my

कुतःwhence? how (could it be)?

परपरिग्रहेin taking/appropriating another (body/possession)

नnot

माम्me

एवंविधाम्such (a one)

युक्ताम्joined/steadfast (in yoga), disciplined

ईदृशम्such, of this kind

वक्तुम्to say/speak

अर्हसिyou ought / you are fit (to)

मेof me / my

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches radical non-attachment: one who has relinquished clinging even to one’s own body cannot be accused of grasping at others’ bodies or possessions. Ethical speech is also implied—one should not address a disciplined renunciant with insinuations rooted in attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma responds to a remark that presumes desire or possessiveness. He rejects the premise by asserting his yogic discipline and renunciant stance, emphasizing that he is free from bodily attachment and therefore beyond such motivations.