Shloka 39

Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154

Devanagari script

धर्म चरत यत्नेन न चाधर्मे मन: कृथा: । वर्तध्वं च यथाकालं दैवतेषु द्विजेषु च,तुमलोग यत्नपूर्वक धर्मका आचरण करो और अधर्ममें कभी मन न लगाओ। देवताओं तथा ब्राह्मणोंकी सेवामें यथासमय तत्पर रहो

Transliteration

dharmaṃ carata yatnena na cādharme manaḥ kṛthāḥ | vartadhvaṃ ca yathākālaṃ daivateṣu dvijeṣu ca ||

Translation

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ຈົ່ງປະພຶດທຳດ້ວຍຄວາມພາກພຽນ ແລະຢ່າໃຫ້ໃຈເອົາໄປສູ່ອະທຳ. ໃນເວລາອັນຄວນ ຈົ່ງຕັ້ງໃຈຮັບໃຊ້ແລະນົບນ້ອມຕໍ່ເທວະທັງຫຼາຍ ແລະຕໍ່ຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ (ພຣາຫມັນ).

Word by Word

धर्मम्dharma, righteousness

चरतpractice (you all)

यत्नेनwith effort

नnot

चand

अधर्मेin adharma, in unrighteousness

मनःmind

कृथाःdo/make (you); place (your mind)

वर्तध्वम्conduct yourselves / be engaged (you all)

चand

यथाaccording to, as

कालम्time (proper time)

दैवतेषुamong/with respect to the deities

द्विजेषुamong/with respect to the twice-born (brahmins)

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Deities (daivata)

Brahmins / twice-born (dvija)

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?

Bhishma urges sustained, deliberate practice of dharma, coupled with inner vigilance: do not even incline the mind toward adharma. He also emphasizes timely, proper reverence and service to the divine and to Brahmins as pillars of righteous life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma—lying on the bed of arrows—continues advising Yudhishthira on righteous governance and personal conduct, giving concise ethical directives about disciplined dharma and due religious/social obligations.