Shloka 56
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
सुप्रसन्ना हि ते देवा यत्ते धर्मे रता मतिः । धने सुखकला काचिद् धर्मे तु परमं सुखम्,राजन! तुम्हारे ऊपर भी देवता बहुत प्रसन्न हैं, जिससे तुम्हारी बुद्धि धर्ममें लगी हुई है। धनमें तो सुखका कोई लेशमात्र ही रहता है। परमसुख तो धर्ममें ही है
suprasannā hi te devā yatte dharme ratā matiḥ | dhane sukhakalā kācid dharme tu paramaṁ sukham, rājan |
Bhishma disse: “Os deuses estão, de fato, muito satisfeitos contigo, ó rei, porque tua mente está devotada ao dharma. Na riqueza há apenas um diminuto fragmento de felicidade; a felicidade suprema, porém, encontra-se somente no dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True and lasting happiness is rooted in dharma (righteous conduct and moral order), while wealth yields only a small and unstable measure of pleasure; therefore one should anchor one’s mind in dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king, praising him because his intellect is inclined toward dharma, and he reinforces a key royal-ethical lesson: prosperity is secondary, whereas dharma is the highest good and the source of supreme happiness.