Shloka 48

Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse

Devanagari script

अरतिं दुर्जयां चैव घोरां तृष्णां च पार्थिव । स्पर्श निद्रां तथा तन्द्रीं दुर्जयां नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

aratiṁ durjayāṁ caiva ghorāṁ tṛṣṇāṁ ca pārthiva | sparśa-nidrāṁ tathā tandrīṁ durjayāṁ nṛpasattama ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «О царь! Есть силы, которые чрезвычайно трудно одолеть: беспокойство, грозная жажда желаний, соблазн чувственного прикосновения, сон и вялость. Они побеждают даже лучшего из правителей, если их не обуздать».

Word by Word

• aratim: discontent, aversion
• aratim: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: arati
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• durjayām: hard to conquer
• durjayām: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durjaya
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• eva: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• ghorām: terrible, dreadful
• ghorām: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• tṛṣṇām: craving, thirst
• tṛṣṇām: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṣṇā
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• pārthiva: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• sparśa: touch (sense-contact)
• sparśa: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• nidrām: sleep
• nidrām: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• tathā: also, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā

• tandrīm: drowsiness, lethargy
• tandrīm: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: tandrī
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• durjayām: hard to conquer
• durjayām: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durjaya
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• nṛpasattama: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa-sattama
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (pārthiva / nṛpasattama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler (and any seeker of dharma) must master inner enemies—restlessness, craving, sensual indulgence, sleep, and lethargy—because they are ‘durjaya’ (hard to conquer) and can undermine right conduct and disciplined governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living and governance, Bhīṣma addresses the king and lists powerful obstacles of the mind and senses that must be restrained for ethical stability and effective rule.