Shloka 5
Brāhmaṇa-kṛtya, Āśrama-niyama, and Dāna-prasaṃsā
Duties of the Brāhmaṇa, āśrama discipline, and praise of giving
तस्माच्छक्र न शोचामि सर्व होवेदमन्तवत् । संतापाद् भ्रश्यते रूप॑ संतापाद् भ्रश्यते श्रिय:
tasmāc chākra na śocāmi sarvaṁ hy etad antavat | saṁtāpād bhraśyate rūpaṁ saṁtāpād bhraśyate śriyaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Maka, wahai Śakra, aku tidak berdukacita. Segala yang ada ini terbatas dan pasti berakhir. Kerana sengsara batin, kecantikan gugur; kerana sengsara batin, kemakmuran dan tuah juga merosot.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches non-grief grounded in impermanence: since all conditioned things end, one should not feed sorrow. Excessive inner distress (saṁtāpa) erodes both personal well-being (beauty/health) and worldly stability (prosperity), so restraint and clarity are ethically and practically superior.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Bhīṣma addresses Śakra (Indra) and explains why he does not lament: he views events and possessions as finite, and warns that brooding sorrow itself becomes a cause of decline.