Shloka 13

शुकस्य योगसिद्धिः (Śuka’s Yogic Attainment and Ascent)

Devanagari script

एवं भूतेषु भूतात्मा नित्यभूतो<च्रुवेषु च । कथं हि हृष्येज्जातेषु मृतेषु च कथं ज्वरेत्‌,इस प्रकार जब सभी प्राणी विनाशशील ही हैं, तब नित्य-स्वरूप जीवात्मा उन प्राणियोंके लिये जन्म लेनेपर हर्ष किसलिये माने और मर जानेपर शोक क्‍यों करे?

Transliteration

evaṁ bhūteṣu bhūtātmā nityabhūto 'dhruveṣu ca | kathaṁ hi hṛṣyej jāteṣu mṛteṣu ca kathaṁ jvaret ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Apabila semua makhluk berjasad itu fana, bagaimana mungkin Diri yang kekal yang bersemayam di dalamnya patut bersukacita ketika mereka lahir, dan mengapa pula ia harus terbakar oleh dukacita ketika mereka mati? Orang bijaksana, melihat ketidakstabilan keadaan dunia dan kesinambungan Diri batin, tidak membiarkan suka dan duka timbul daripada kelahiran dan kematian.”

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

भूतेषुin beings

भूतात्माthe being-souled one (the Self in beings)

नित्यभूतःever-existent

ध्रुवेषुamong the fixed/inevitable (states)

चand

कथम्how?

हिindeed, for

हृष्येत्would rejoice

जातेषुwhen (they are) born; among the born

मृतेषुwhen (they are) dead; among the dead

चand

कथम्how?

ज्वरेत्would grieve; would be distressed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The indwelling Self is eternal, while embodied beings and their conditions are impermanent; therefore one should not be carried away by elation at birth or grief at death, cultivating steadiness through discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on peace and right conduct, Bhishma continues advising the listener on wisdom and emotional restraint, framing birth and death as events in the perishable realm that should not disturb one who understands the Self.