Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सम्मानश्चावमानश्ष लाभालाभौ क्षयोदयौ । प्रवृत्ता विनिवर्तन्ते विधानान्ते पदे पदे,सम्मान-अपमान, लाभ-हानि तथा उन्नति-अवनति--ये पूर्वजन्मके कर्मोके अनुसार पग-पगपर प्राप्त होते हैं और प्रारब्धभोगके पश्चात्‌ पुनः निवृत्त हो जाते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sammānaś cāvamānaś ca lābhālābhau kṣayodayau | pravṛttā vinivartante vidhānānte pade pade ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「名誉と不名誉、得と失、衰えと興隆——これらは前世の業によって形づくられた定めの道筋に従い、歩みごとに起こっては現れる。しかるべき果報を味わい尽くせば、また静まってゆく。ゆえにそれらに心を揺らされず、ダルマに堅くとどまるべきである。」

Word by Word

सम्मानःhonour

चand

अवमानःdishonour

लाभौgain (pair-member)

अलाभौnon-gain/loss (pair-member)

क्षयौdecline (pair-member)

उदयौrise (pair-member)

प्रवृत्ताःhaving arisen/come into operation

विनिवर्तन्तेcease/turn back/come to an end

विधानान्तेat the end of the dispensation/ordained course

पदेin a step/at a place

पदेin a step/at a place (repeated: 'at every step')

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Worldly opposites—honor/dishonor, gain/loss, rise/decline—are transient and unfold according to the ordained course shaped by past actions. Since they end after their destined fruition, one should cultivate steadiness and not let them disturb one’s commitment to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous living after the war. Here he emphasizes a practical ethical stance: do not be elated by success or crushed by setbacks, because such conditions repeatedly arise and pass away as part of the karmic order.