Shloka 52
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
निर्मुक्तस्य रजोरूपान्नापराधो भवेन्मम | यथा हि शून्यां पथिक: सभामध्यावसेत् पथि,“मैं रजोगुणसे मुक्ता हूँ; अतः मेरे द्वारा कोई अपराध नहीं हो सकता, जैसे राह चलनेवाला बटोही कभी किसी सूनी धर्मशालामें ठहर जाता है उसी प्रकार आज मैं सावधान होकर गुरुपत्नीके शरीरमें निवास करूँगा। इसी तरह इसके शरीरमें मेरा निवास हो सकेगा”
nirmuktasya rajorūpān nāparādho bhaven mama | yathā hi śūnyāṃ pathikaḥ sabhāmadhyāvased pathi |
Bhishma berkata: “Oleh sebab aku telah bebas daripada bentuk-bentuk rajas (nafsu dan kegelisahan), tiada kesalahan dapat menimpa diriku. Seperti seorang musafir di jalan yang singgah tanpa keterikatan di rumah tumpangan yang kosong, demikian juga—dengan berjaga-jaga—aku akan masuk dan berdiam dalam tubuh isteri guru, sehingga keberadaanku di sana menjadi mungkin.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Freedom from rajas (passionate agitation) is presented as a safeguard against ethical fault: when action is undertaken without desire, possessiveness, or self-serving impulse, it is less likely to generate culpability. The verse uses an analogy of a traveler resting briefly in an empty place to illustrate non-attachment and temporary, duty-bound presence.
Bhishma explains his intention to enter and reside in another’s body—specifically the guru’s wife—while claiming inner detachment and vigilance. He frames this extraordinary act as ethically non-culpable due to his freedom from rajas, likening it to a traveler taking temporary shelter without ownership or attachment.