Shloka 10

संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाणीह रक्षन्ति स्वर्गधर्माभिगुप्तये । तस्मादर्थे च धर्मे च तपो नानशनात्‌ परम्‌,इस संसारमें धार्मिक पुरुष स्वर्गके साधनभूत धर्मकी रक्षाके लिये इन्द्रियोंको सुरक्षित (संयमशील बनाये) रखते हैं। परंतु धर्म और अर्थ दोनोंकी सिद्धिके लिये तप ही श्रेष्ठ साधन है और उपवाससे बढ़कर कोई तपस्या नहीं है

Transliteration

indriyāṇīha rakṣanti svargadharmābhiguptaye | tasmād arthe ca dharme ca tapo nānaśanāt param ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—इन्द्रियाणि इह रक्षन्ति स्वर्गधर्माभिगुप्तये। तस्मादर्थे च धर्मे च तपो नानशनात् परम्॥

Word by Word

• {'indriyāṇi': 'the senses

• sense-faculties', 'iha': 'here

• in this world', 'rakṣanti': 'they protect

• they restrain', 'svarga': 'heaven

• celestial world', 'dharma': 'righteousness

• law', 'abhiguptaye': 'for safeguarding

• for protection (dative of purpose)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'arthe': 'in/for artha

• material welfare, prosperity, practical aims', 'ca': 'and', 'tapo (tapas)': 'austerity

• spiritual heat/effort', 'na': 'not

• no', 'anaśanāt': 'than fasting

• from abstaining from food', 'param': 'higher

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• svarga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sense-restraint protects dharma that leads to heaven, but the most powerful instrument for achieving both dharma and worldly welfare (artha) is tapas; among austerities, fasting (anaśana) is declared supreme.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical discipline and the means to uphold dharma, emphasizing control of the senses and the exceptional efficacy of fasting as austerity.