Shloka 46

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

आरोग्याच्च शरीरस्य स पुनर्विन्दते श्रियम्‌ शोकहीनता सुख और उत्तम आरोग्यका उत्पादन करती है

Transliteration

ārogyāc ca śarīrasya sa punar vindate śriyam | śokahīnatā sukhaṃ ca uttamārogyasya utpādikā bhavati; śarīrasya nīrogatvāt manuṣyaḥ punaḥ dhana-sampattim upārjayati | atikramya bahūn anyāṃs tvayi tāvad iyaṃ gatā | kañcit kālam iyaṃ sthitvā tvayi vāsava cañcalā ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: С восстановлением телесного здоровья человек вновь обретает благополучие. Без скорби рождаются счастье и превосходное здравие; и когда тело освобождается от недуга, человек снова способен наживать богатство и средства. Миновав многих других, эта непостоянная Фортуна пришла к тебе на время; побыв с тобой некоторое время, о Васава, она вновь уйдёт дальше.

Word by Word

• आरोग्यात्: from health
• आरोग्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोग्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शरीरस्य: of the body
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• विन्दते: obtains, finds
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अतिक्रम्य: having passed beyond, surpassing
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्वयि: in you / with you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• तावत्: so long, to that extent
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• इयम्: this (woman/thing)
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गता: gone, has gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कञ्चित्: some
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालम्: time (for some time)
• कालम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इयम्: this (woman/thing)
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थित्वा: having stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• त्वयि: in you / with you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• वासव: O Vāsava (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चञ्चला: fickle, unsteady
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Śrī (Fortune/Prosperity, implied by 'śriyam' and 'cañcalā')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma links ethical well-being to practical flourishing: freedom from grief supports happiness and health, and health enables the recovery of prosperity; yet even prosperity (Śrī) is inherently unstable and should not be relied upon as permanent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction within the Śānti Parva, he addresses Vāsava (Indra) and reflects on the movement of Fortune: she has come to Indra after leaving many others, will remain briefly, and then depart—illustrating the transient nature of worldly success.