Shloka 13

Adhyāya 177: Pañca-mahābhūta-vicāra and Vṛkṣa-jīva-lakṣaṇa

Five Elements Inquiry and the Status of Plant Life

Devanagari script

त॑ वै सदा कामचरमनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम्‌ । बाहूपधान शाम्यन्तं प्रशंसन्ति दिवौकस:

Transliteration

taṁ vai sadā kāmacaram anupastīrṇaśāyinam | bāhūpadhānaṁ śāmyantaṁ praśaṁsanti divaukasaḥ ||

Translation

ਉਹ ਦੈਵੀ ਨਿਯਮ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਆਪਣੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਨਾਲ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਚਰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਬਿਨਾ ਬਿਸਤਰੇ ਧਰਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਹੀ ਸੌਂਦਾ ਹੈ; ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਬਾਂਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਤਕੀਆ ਬਣਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸਦਾ ਸ਼ਾਂਤ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਸਵਰਗ ਦੇ ਵਾਸੀ ਦੇਵ ਵੀ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਮੁੜ ਮੁੜ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ੰਸਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• कामचरम्: moving as he wishes / acting at will
• कामचरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामचर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम्: one who lies down without a spread bed (on bare ground)
• अनुपस्तीर्णशायिनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुपस्तीर्ण-शायिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बाहूपधानम्: having the arms as a pillow
• बाहूपधानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाहू-उपधान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शाम्यन्तम्: being calm / becoming tranquil
• शाम्यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: शम्
• Form: Present, Singular, Parasmaipada, Shatru (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दिवौकसः: the dwellers of heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• divaukasaḥ (celestial beings/devas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse extols a dharmic ideal of simplicity and inner mastery: one who is content with minimal comforts, remains calm, and moves in harmony with higher order is worthy of praise—even by the gods. Ethical excellence is shown through restraint, non-dependence on luxuries, and steady tranquility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, in his Shanti Parva instruction, describes a virtuous person whose austere lifestyle and serene disposition mark him as exemplary. The description functions as a model of conduct within Bhishma’s broader discourse on dharma and right living after the war.