Shloka 22

Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda

Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time

Devanagari script

प्लवन्ते धर्मलघवो लोके5म्भसि यथा प्लवा: | मज्जन्ति पापगुरव: शस्त्र स्कन्नमिवोदके

Transliteration

plavante dharma-laghavo loke 'mbhasi yathā plavāḥ | majjanti pāpa-guravaḥ śastra-skannam ivodake ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—“ଧର୍ମାଚରଣ କରି ପାପର ଭାର ନ ଲାଦି ଯେମାନେ ନିଜକୁ ହାଲୁକା ରଖନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ଜଳରେ ଭାସୁଥିବା ନୌକା ପରି ସଂସାର-ସାଗର ପାର ହୋଇଯାନ୍ତି। କିନ୍ତୁ ପାପରେ ଭାରୀ ହୋଇଥିବାମାନେ, ଜଳରେ ଛାଡ଼ାଯାଇଥିବା ଶସ୍ତ୍ର ପରି ନରକ-ସମୁଦ୍ରରେ ଡୁବିଯାନ୍ତି।”

Word by Word

• प्लवन्ते: float / stay afloat
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (प्लव्)
• Form: Lat (present), Ātmanepada, 3rd, plural

• धर्म-लघवः: those made light by dharma (the righteous/light ones)
• धर्म-लघवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मलघु
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• अम्भसि: in water
• अम्भसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस्
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• प्लवाः: boats / rafts
• प्लवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• मज्जन्ति: sink
• Type: Verb
• Root: मज्ज्
• Form: Lat (present), Parasmaipada, 3rd, plural

• पाप-गुरवः: those made heavy by sin (sin-laden ones)
• पाप-गुरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापगुरु
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• शस्त्र-स्कन्नम्: a weapon that has fallen/been cast (in)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्रस्कन्न
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• इव: like / as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उदके: in water
• उदके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• boats/rafts (plavāḥ)
• weapon (śastra)
• water (ambhas/udaka)
• world (loka)
• saṃsāra (implied: ocean of worldly existence)
• naraka (implied: hellish realm/sea)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma functions like buoyancy: ethical living keeps a person ‘light’ and able to cross saṃsāra, while sin becomes a heavy load that causes one to sink into suffering (symbolized as a hellish sea).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the opening of the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he uses a vivid simile—boats floating and weapons sinking—to impress the moral consequence of dharma versus pāpa.