Shloka 37

Devanagari script

विकार प्रकृतिं चैव पुरुषं च सनातनम्‌ । यो यथावद्‌ विजानाति स वितृष्णो विमुच्यते,जो प्रकृतिको, उसके कार्यको, पुरुष (जीवात्मा) को और सनातन परमात्माको यथार्थ रूपसे जानता है, वह तृष्णासे रहित होकर मोक्ष प्राप्त कर लेता है

Transliteration

vikāra-prakṛtiṁ caiva puruṣaṁ ca sanātanam | yo yathāvad vijānāti sa vitṛṣṇo vimucyate ||

Translation

ビーシュマは語った。変化（ヴィカーラ）と根源の自然（プラクリティ）、そして永遠のプルシャ（意識する自己）を、あるがままに正しく知る者は、渇愛を離れて解脱する。

Word by Word

विकारम्modification, effect (product)

प्रकृतिम्Prakriti, nature (primordial matter)

चand

एवindeed, just

पुरुषम्Purusha, the self/person (spirit)

चand

सनातनम्eternal

यःwho

यथावत्as it really is, correctly

विजानातिknows, understands

सःhe

वितृष्णःfree from craving

विमुच्यतेis released, is liberated

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

prakṛti

puruṣa

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?

Liberation arises from accurate discernment: knowing (1) vikāra—changing phenomena, (2) prakṛti—the material source of those changes, and (3) puruṣa—the eternal conscious principle. This clear knowledge dissolves craving (tṛṣṇā), and with desire extinguished, one is freed.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the path to peace after the war. Here he frames mokṣa as the fruit of philosophical discernment (Sāṅkhya-like analysis) rather than external achievement, emphasizing inner renunciation through right understanding.