Shloka 17

Devanagari script

नान्तं सर्वविधित्सानां गतपूर्वोडस्ति कश्नन । शरीरे जीविते चैव तृष्णा मन्दस्य वर्धते,“कोई भी पहले कभी धन आदिके लिये होनेवाली सम्पूर्ण प्रवृत्तियोंका अन्त नहीं पा सका है। शरीर और जीवनके प्रति मूर्ख मनुष्यकी ही तृष्णा बढ़ती है

Transliteration

nāntaṃ sarvavidhitsānāṃ gatapūrvo 'sti kaścana | śarīre jīvite caiva tṛṣṇā mandasya vardhate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Ninguém jamais alcançou o fim das incontáveis buscas movidas pelo desejo de obter toda espécie de ganho. Mas, no tolo, o apego e a cobiça pelo próprio corpo — e até pela própria vida — apenas crescem; essa sede não conhece saciedade e, por isso, continua a se expandir.”

Word by Word

नnot

अन्तम्end, limit

सर्वविधित्सानाम्of all desires/endeavours to obtain (various things)

गतपूर्वःhaving gone before; earlier (person)

उindeed, surely (emphatic particle)

अस्तिis/exists

कश्चनanyone (at all)

शरीरेin/with regard to the body

जीवितेin/with regard to life

चand

एवindeed, only

तृष्णाcraving, thirst (desire)

मन्दस्यof the dull/foolish (person)

वर्धतेgrows, increases

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desire for acquisition has no natural endpoint; the foolish person’s craving—especially attachment to body and life—keeps increasing. The ethical lesson is to cultivate discernment and restraint, recognizing that unchecked tṛṣṇā is inherently insatiable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira. Here he warns against endless acquisitive striving and highlights how ignorance fuels growing attachment to bodily existence.