Shloka 14

यज्ञेऽहिंसा-प्राधान्यम्

Primacy of Non-Harm in Sacrificial Ethics

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच यथा शरीर न ग्लायेन्नेयान्मृत्युवशं यथा । तथा कर्मसु वर्तेत समर्थों धर्ममाचरेत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yathā śarīraṃ na glāyet neyān mṛtyuvaśaṃ yathā | tathā karmasu varteta samartho dharmam ācaret ||

Translation

ភីṣ្មៈបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ «យុធិṣ្ឋិរៈ! គួរតែប្រតិបត្តិកម្មកិច្ចរបស់ខ្លួន ដោយរបៀបដែលរាងកាយមិនស្រកស្រាល និងមិនធ្លាក់ចូលក្រោមអំណាចមរណៈ។ ព្រោះមានតែពេលរាងកាយនៅមានសមត្ថភាព និងកម្លាំងប៉ុណ្ណោះ ទើបមនុស្សអាចអនុវត្ត និងថែរក្សាធម្មៈបានពិតប្រាកដ»។

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'yathā': 'so that

• in such a manner that', 'śarīram': 'the body', 'na': 'not', 'glāyet': 'should become weak, languish, waste away', 'na iyāt (neyāt)': 'should not go

• should not fall into', 'mṛtyu-vaśam': 'the control/power of death', 'tathā': 'thus

• in that way', 'karmasu': 'in actions

• in duties/works', 'varteta': 'one should conduct oneself

• should act', 'samarthaḥ': 'capable, competent, strong', 'dharmam': 'dharma

• moral law', 'ācaret': 'should practice

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Death (Mṛtyu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is not merely an ideal; it requires practical capacity. Therefore one should act and live in a way that preserves bodily strength and avoids self-destructive extremes, because only a capable person can consistently practice righteous duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on righteous living after the war. Here he emphasizes balanced conduct: perform duties without ruining the body, since physical capability supports sustained observance of dharma.