Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तद्धत्‌ संसारकान्तारमातिष्ठ न्‌ श्रमतत्पर: । यात्रार्थमद्यादाहारं व्याधितो भेषजं यथा,जैसे वनमें रहनेवाला संन्यासी स्वादिष्ट अन्न (मिठाई आदि)-के लिये उत्सुक नहीं होता। वह शरीर-निर्वाहके लिये स्वाधीन रूखा-सूखा ग्रामीण आहार भी ग्रहण कर लेता है, उसी प्रकार संसाररूपी वनमें रहनेवाला गृहस्थ परिश्रममें संलग्न हो जीवन-निर्वाहमात्रके लिये शुद्ध सात््विक आहार ग्रहण करे। ठीक उसी तरह, जैसे रोगी जीवनरक्षाके लिये औषध सेवन करता है

Transliteration

tadvat saṃsārakāntāram ātiṣṭhan śramatatparaḥ | yātrārtham adyād āhāraṃ vyādhito bheṣajaṃ yathā ||

Translation

అలాగే సంసారమనే అరణ్యంలో నివసిస్తూ, శ్రమలో నిమగ్నుడై, మనిషి జీవనయాత్ర సాగుటకై మాత్రమే ఆహారాన్ని గ్రహించాలి—రోగి ఔషధం సేవించునట్లు.

Word by Word

तद्वत्likewise, in the same way

संसारकान्तारम्the wilderness-forest of worldly existence

आतिष्ठremain in / abide in / take to

श्रमतत्परःintent on exertion; devoted to effort

यात्रार्थम्for the sake of sustenance/maintenance (of life-journey)

अद्याद्should eat

आहारम्food, intake

व्याधितःone who is ill; a sick person

भेषजम्medicine, remedy

यथाjust as

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Food should be taken with restraint and purity, primarily to sustain life and support one’s duties, not to indulge the palate—like medicine taken by a patient for survival rather than enjoyment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma continues his instruction in the Śānti Parva, using the metaphor of saṃsāra as a dangerous forest to advise disciplined living: the householder should work diligently and eat only what is necessary for maintaining life.