Shloka 18
The Thirteen Inner Adversaries (Trayodaśa Doṣāḥ): Origins and Pacification
तदहं बुद्धिमास्थाय भयं मोक्ष्ये समीरणात् | यदि तां बुद्धिमास्थाय तिष्ठेयु: पर्णिनो वने
tadahaṁ buddhim āsthāya bhayaṁ mokṣye samīraṇāt | yadi tāṁ buddhim āsthāya tiṣṭheyuḥ parṇino vane ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Kaya, sa pagkapit sa pag-unawa, palalayain ko ang sarili ko sa takot sa hangin. Kung sa paghawak sa gayong pagkaunawa ay nakatatayo nang matatag ang mga punong may dahon sa gubat, gayon din ako.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fear is overcome by buddhi—steady discernment. By anchoring the mind in clear understanding, one becomes unmoved by external disturbances, just as trees endure the wind.
Bhīṣma uses a natural image—leafy trees standing in a forest despite the wind—to illustrate how he (and by extension a disciplined person) can remain steady and free from fear by relying on firm understanding.