Shloka 10

संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाणीह रक्षन्ति स्वर्गधर्माभिगुप्तये । तस्मादर्थे च धर्मे च तपो नानशनात्‌ परम्‌

Transliteration

indriyāṇīha rakṣanti svargadharmābhiguptaye | tasmād arthe ca dharme ca tapo nānaśanāt param ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଏହି ସଂସାରରେ ଧର୍ମାତ୍ମା ଲୋକେ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗସାଧକ ଧର୍ମକୁ ରକ୍ଷା କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ସଂଯମ କରନ୍ତି। ତେଣୁ ଅର୍ଥ ଓ ଧର୍ମ—ଉଭୟର ସିଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଁ ତପ ହିଁ ସର୍ବୋତ୍ତମ ଉପାୟ; ଉପବାସଠାରୁ ବଡ଼ ତପସ୍ୟା ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• {'indriyāṇi': 'the senses

• sense-faculties', 'iha': 'here

• in this world', 'rakṣanti': 'they protect

• they restrain', 'svarga': 'heaven

• celestial world', 'dharma': 'righteousness

• law', 'abhiguptaye': 'for safeguarding

• for protection (dative of purpose)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'arthe': 'in/for artha

• material welfare, prosperity, practical aims', 'ca': 'and', 'tapo (tapas)': 'austerity

• spiritual heat/effort', 'na': 'not

• no', 'anaśanāt': 'than fasting

• from abstaining from food', 'param': 'higher

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• svarga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sense-restraint protects dharma that leads to heaven, but the most powerful instrument for achieving both dharma and worldly welfare (artha) is tapas; among austerities, fasting (anaśana) is declared supreme.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical discipline and the means to uphold dharma, emphasizing control of the senses and the exceptional efficacy of fasting as austerity.