Shloka 29
Adhyāya 180: Jīva, Śarīra, and the Fire Analogy (भृगु–भरद्वाज संवादः)
बहुविधमनुदृश्य चार्थहेतो: कृपणमिहार्यमनार्यमा श्रयन्तम् । उपशमरुचिरात्मवान् प्रशान्तो व्रतमिदमाजगरं शुचिश्चरामि
bahuvidham anudṛśya cārtha-hetoḥ kṛpaṇam ihāryam anāryam āśrayantam | upaśama-rucir ātmavān praśānto vratam idam ājagaraṁ śuciś carāmi ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂ້ອຍເຫັນຊ້ຳໆ ໃນຫຼາຍຮູບແບບວ່າ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຄົນສູງສົງກໍຍັງເພາະເງິນທອງ ຈຶ່ງໄປພຶ່ງພາຄົນຕ່ຳຊ້າ ດ້ວຍອາການນ່າສົງສານ. ເຫັນແລ້ວ ໃຈຂ້ອຍຫັນໄປຫາຄວາມສະງົບ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເມື່ອຂ້ອຍກັບຄືນສູ່ສະພາບແທ້ຂອງຕົນ ແລະສະງົບສິ້ນເຊີງ ຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງປະພຶດ «ວຣະຕະອາຊະກະຣະ» (ājagara-vrata) ດ້ວຍໃຈບໍລິສຸດ—ຢູ່ດັ່ງງູໄພທອນ ບໍ່ຮ້ອນຮົນພະຍາຍາມ. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Greed for wealth can drive even the ‘noble’ into humiliating dependence on the ignoble; seeing this, one should cultivate upaśama (inner quiet) and contentment, practicing disciplined non-striving (ājagara-vrata) rather than compromising dignity and dharma for gain.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction in Śānti Parva, he reflects on social and moral decline—how people abase themselves for money—and declares his turn toward serenity and the practice of the ājagara-vrata, a model of austere contentment and freedom from anxious pursuit.