Shloka 9

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः

Devanagari script

वन॑ यास्यामि वार्ष्णेय श्रेयो मे तत्र जीवितुम्‌

Transliteration

vanaṁ yāsyāmi vārṣṇeya śreyo me tatra jīvitum

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О Варшнея, я уйду в лес; для меня лучше жить там.»

Word by Word

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यास्यामि: I shall go
• यास्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (गत्यर्थे)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वार्ष्णेय: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ष्णेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• श्रेयः: better; preferable
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मे: for me; my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• जीवितुम्: to live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vārṣṇeya (epithet of Kṛṣṇa)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical preference for a life of restraint and safety over participation in destructive conflict: choosing what is ‘śreyaḥ’ (the better course) even if it means withdrawal to the forest.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva war-setting, the speaker expresses a resolve to leave for the forest, addressing ‘Vārṣṇeya’ (Kṛṣṇa), indicating a desire to step away from the battlefield situation and live elsewhere as a preferable alternative.