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Shloka 9

Adhyāya 241: Guṇa-sṛṣṭi, Kṣetrajña-sākṣitva, and Śama through Ātma-jñāna (गुणसृष्टिः, क्षेत्रज्ञसाक्षित्वं, शमः)

कर्म त्वेके प्रशंसन्ति स्वल्पबुद्धिरता नरा: । तेन ते देहजालानि रमयन्त उपासते

karma tv eke praśaṃsanti svalpabuddhiratā narāḥ | tena te dehajālāni ramayanta upāsate |

ビーシュマは言った。「理解が浅く未熟な者たちは、業(カルマ)だけを称える。ゆえに彼らは、身を受ける生の網に歓び、感官の知を知のすべてと見なして、享楽とその果に執着しつつ、かの身体を幾度も幾度も求め追うのである。」

कर्मaction (ritual/works)
कर्म:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तुbut
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
एकेsome (people)
एके:
Karta
TypePronoun/Adjective
Rootएक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
प्रशंसन्तिpraise
प्रशंसन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-शंस्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
स्वल्पबुद्धिरताःattached to little/limited understanding
स्वल्पबुद्धिरताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वल्पबुद्धिरत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नराःmen, people
नराः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तेनtherefore; by that (reason)
तेन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
देहजालानिnetworks/series of bodies
देहजालानि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदेहजाल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
रमयन्तःtaking delight (in), enjoying
रमयन्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootरम्
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
उपासतेserve, resort to, practice
उपासते:
TypeVerb
Rootउप-आस्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

Bhīṣma warns that praising karma alone—especially desire-motivated action—reflects limited understanding. When one mistakes sensory cognition for true knowledge, one becomes attached to enjoyment and thereby remains bound to repeated embodied existence (a ‘web of bodies’).

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation-oriented wisdom, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira. Here he contrasts shallow endorsement of result-seeking action with a deeper perspective that sees attachment as the cause of continued bondage and repeated embodiment.