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Shloka 11

Adhyāya 179 — Bharadvāja’s Reductionist Inquiry into Jīva and Pañcabhūta Dissolution

सुखं जीवन्ति मुनयो भैक्ष्यवृत्ति समाश्रिता: । अद्रोहेणैव भूतानां सारड्रा इव पक्षिण:,जिस प्रकार पपीहा पक्षी किसी भी प्राणीसे वैर न करके याचनावृत्तिसे अपना निर्वाह करते हैं, उसी प्रकार मुनिजन भिक्षावृत्तिका आश्रय लेकर सुखसे जीवन व्यतीत करते हैं (अद्रोहका उपदेश देनेके कारण पपीहा गुरु हुआ)

sukhaṃ jīvanti munayo bhaikṣya-vṛtti-samāśritāḥ | adroheṇaiva bhūtānāṃ sāraṅgā iva pakṣiṇaḥ ||

Bhīṣma berkata: “Para muni hidup bahagia dengan berlindung pada cara hidup yang disara oleh sedekah. Seperti burung sāraṅga, mereka menyara diri tanpa permusuhan terhadap mana-mana makhluk—tidak menyakiti, tidak bertengkar—dan bergantung pada apa yang diberikan dengan rela.”

सुखम्happiness; comfortably
सुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
जीवन्तिlive
जीवन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootजीव्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
मुनयःsages
मुनयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
भैक्ष्यवृत्तिम्the livelihood of begging (alms-living)
भैक्ष्यवृत्तिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभैक्ष्यवृत्ति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
समाश्रिताःhaving resorted to; depending on
समाश्रिताः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-आ-श्रि (समाश्रित)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, Past Passive Participle
अद्रोहेणby non-hostility; without malice
अद्रोहेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअद्रोह
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
एवindeed; just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
भूतानाम्of beings; of creatures
भूतानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootभूत
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
सारड्राःpied cuckoos (chataka/papīhā birds)
सारड्राः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसारड्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
इवlike; as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
पक्षिणःbirds
पक्षिणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपक्षिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
M
munis (sages)
B
bhiksha (alms)
S
saranga birds (pakshins)
B
bhutas (living beings)

Educational Q&A

A life grounded in non-hostility (adroha) and simplicity—accepting alms without harming or opposing any being—brings inner ease; harmlessness and restraint are presented as the ethical foundation of ascetic livelihood.

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma teaches by analogy: he points to sages who live on alms and compares them to birds that subsist without enmity, emphasizing peaceful conduct and non-violence as a model for righteous living.