Shloka 12

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

पुष्पाणीव विचिन्वन्तमन्यत्र गतमानसम्‌ | अनवाप्तेषु कामेषु मृत्युरभ्येति मानवम्‌

Transliteration

puṣpāṇīva vicinvantam anyatra gatamānasam | anavāpteṣu kāmeṣu mṛtyur abhyeti mānavam ||

Translation

ଯେପରି ଫୁଲ ଚୟନ କରୁଥିବା ମଣିଷର ମନ ଅନ୍ୟତ୍ର ଥାଏ ଓ ସେ ବିପଦ ଧ୍ୟାନ ନକରେ, ସେପରି ବିଷୟାସକ୍ତ ମଣିଷର କାମନା ଅପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଥିବାବେଳେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ହଠାତ୍ ଆସି ତାକୁ ଧରିନେଇଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• विचिन्वन्तम्: picking/collecting
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चि
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र

• गत: gone/turned
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मानसम्: mind
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनवाप्तेषु: not obtained (yet)
• अनवाप्तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनवाप्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• कामेषु: desires/objects of desire
• कामेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्येति: approaches/comes upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + इ
• Form: Present (लट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मानवम्: a man/human
• मानवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mṛtyu (Death)
• puṣpa (flowers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Death can arrive unexpectedly while one is distracted and still chasing unfulfilled desires; therefore one should not postpone dharma and self-discipline, and should cultivate awareness and detachment from endless craving.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he uses a vivid simile: a person picking flowers with a wandering mind is suddenly attacked; likewise, a human being absorbed in sense-objects is overtaken by death before desires are fulfilled.