Shloka 43
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
न चेदमचलं स्थानमनन्तं वापि कस्यचित् । त्वं तु बालिशया बुद्धया ममेदमिति मन््यसे
na cedam acalaṁ sthānam anantaṁ vāpi kasyacit | tvaṁ tu bāliśayā buddhyā mamedam iti manyase ||
ビーシュマは言った。「この地位は不動ではなく、また誰にとっても無限に続くものではない。しかるに汝は、幼く迷える知によって『これは我がものだ』と思いなす。インドラの主権でさえ、常住であると証されたことはない。多くがそれを握り、そして去っていった。ゆえに権力を所有物のごとく執着してはならぬ—その無常を悟り、謙虚に、ダルマに則って行え。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Positions of authority are transient; claiming them as ‘mine’ is delusion. One should rule or act without possessiveness, with humility and adherence to dharma.
Bhishma admonishes a proud ruler (implicitly one who identifies with high office, like Indra’s status) by reminding him that no post is permanent; many have held such power and departed, so arrogance and possessiveness are misguided.