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,भीष्मजीने कहा--युधिष्छिर! कर्मोमें इस प्रकार प्रवृत्त होना चाहिये, जिससे शरीरकी शक्ति सर्वथा क्षीण न हो जाय, जिससे वह मृत्युके अधीन न हो जाय; क्योंकि मनुष्य शरीरके समर्थ होनेपर ही धर्मका पालन कर सकता है

Transliteration

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

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—कर्मांत अशी प्रवृत्ती ठेवावी की शरीर क्षीण होऊ नये आणि मृत्यूच्या अधीन जाऊ नये; कारण शरीर समर्थ असेल तेव्हाच मनुष्य धर्माचे आचरण करू शकतो।

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.