Shloka 10
Śrī-nivāsa: Traits and Conditions for the Abode of Prosperity (श्री-निवासः)
जो अपने लिये कुछ नहीं चाहता, जिसका अन्तःकरण मूढ़तासे आच्छन्न है, जो थोड़ेमें ही संतोष कर लेते हैं, ऐसे मनुष्योंमें मैं भलीभाँति नित्य निवास नहीं करती हूँ ।।
bhīṣma uvāca |
yo ’tmārthaṃ kiñcid api na kāṅkṣate, yasyāntaḥkaraṇaṃ mūḍhatayā āchannam, yaḥ alpenaiva saṃtuṣyati—tādṛśeṣu manuṣyeṣu ahaṃ (śrīḥ) samyak nityaṃ na nivāsāmi ||
svadharmaśīleṣu ca dharmavitsu vṛddhopasevānirate ca dānte |
kṛtātmani kṣāntipare samarthe kṣāntāsu dāntāsu tathā ’balāsu ||
Bhishma disse: “Eu não habito de modo verdadeiro e constante entre aqueles que nada desejam para si, cuja mente interior está velada pela torpeza e que se satisfazem com muito pouco. Mas eu permaneço entre os devotados ao próprio dever (svadharma), os que conhecem o dharma, os que se alegram em servir aos anciãos, os que se dominam—entre os disciplinados e senhores de si, entre os pacientes e capazes, entre os indulgentes e contidos, e também entre os mansos, os não violentos.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prosperity (Śrī) is not portrayed as favoring mere lack of desire or minimal contentment when it is rooted in dullness; rather, she abides with those who actively live by svadharma, understand dharma, serve elders, practice self-restraint, and cultivate patience and forgiveness—virtues that make a person ethically steady and socially beneficial.
In Bhishma’s instruction (Anushasana Parva), he voices a teaching about where ‘Śrī’—fortune and auspiciousness—chooses to reside. The verse contrasts inert, deluded renunciation with disciplined, dharma-informed conduct, emphasizing that true auspiciousness accompanies virtue, self-mastery, and respectful service.