Shloka 9
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
सम्पश्यत जगत् सर्व सुखदु:खैरधिछितम् । संयोगो विप्रयोगश्षु पर्यायेणोपल भ्यते,“देखो, यह सम्पूर्ण जगत् ही सुख और दुः:खसे व्याप्त है, यहाँ सबको बारी-बारीसे संयोग और वियोग प्राप्त होते रहते हैं
sampaśyata jagat sarvaṃ sukha-duḥkhair adhiṣṭhitam | saṃyogo viprayogaś ca paryāyeṇopalabhyate ||
Bhishma berkata: “Lihatlah: seluruh dunia ini diliputi dan dikuasai oleh suka dan duka. Di sini, pertemuan dan perpisahan dialami oleh semua, silih berganti dalam putaran yang berulang.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a realistic, ethical outlook: worldly life is inevitably mixed with pleasure and pain, and relationships naturally cycle through union and separation. Recognizing this alternation supports steadiness, reduced attachment, and wiser conduct in dharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and the management of grief after the war. Here he urges attentive observation of the world’s nature—its alternating experiences—so the listener can endure loss and change with composure.