Shloka 14

Durgātitaraṇa—Conduct for Crossing Difficulties (दुर्गातितरणम्)

Devanagari script

ये तपश्च तपस्यन्ति कौमारब्रह्मचारिण: । विद्यावेदव्रतस्नाता दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते,जो तपस्या करते, कुमारावस्थासे ही ब्रह्मचर्यके पालनमें तत्पर रहते और विद्या एवं वेदोंके अध्ययन-सम्बन्धी व्रतको पूर्ण करके स्नातक हो चुके हैं, वे दुस्तर दुःखोंको तर जाते है

Transliteration

ye tapaś ca tapasyanti kaumāra-brahmacāriṇaḥ | vidyā-veda-vrata-snātā durgāṇy atitaranti te ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ തപസ്സു ചെയ്യുന്നവരും, ബാല്യകാലം മുതൽ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യത്തിൽ അചഞ്ചലമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നവരും, വിദ്യയും വേദാധ്യയനവ്രതങ്ങളും പൂർത്തിയാക്കി സ്നാതകരായവരും—അത്തരംവർ ദുർലഘ്യമായ ദുഃഖങ്ങളെയും അതിക്രമിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

तपःausterity, penance

चand

तपस्यन्तिpractice austerity

कौमार-ब्रह्मचारिणःbrahmacārins from boyhood (juvenile celibate students)

विद्या-वेद-व्रत-स्नाताःhaving completed the vows of learning and Vedic study; graduated (snātaka)

दुर्गाणिdifficult (things/straits), hardships

अतितरन्तिcross over, surmount

तेthey

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

A life of disciplined austerity—especially brahmacarya maintained from youth, together with completed learning and Vedic observances—builds inner strength that enables a person to overcome even severe hardships.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira by praising the power of tapas, student-discipline, and fulfilled Vedic study, presenting them as means to cross otherwise difficult sufferings.