Shloka 14

Vimokṣa-niścaya: Pañcaśikha’s Analysis of Aggregates, Guṇas, and Tyāga (मोक्षनिर्णयः)

Devanagari script

तद्धत्‌ संसारकान्तारमातिष्ठ न्‌ श्रमतत्पर: । यात्रार्थमद्यादाहारं व्याधितो भेषजं यथा

Transliteration

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

Translation

Gayon din, ang nananahan sa gubat ng buhay-mundo at masigasig sa tapat na pagsisikap ay dapat kumain lamang upang maitaguyod ang paglalakbay ng buhay—gaya ng maysakit na umiinom ng gamot, hindi para sa sarap kundi para sa pag-iingat.

Word by Word

• तद्वत्: likewise, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत्

• संसारकान्तारम्: the wilderness-forest of worldly existence
• संसारकान्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसारकान्तार
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आतिष्ठ: remain in / abide in / take to
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (आ-स्था)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्रमतत्परः: intent on exertion; devoted to effort
• श्रमतत्परः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रमतत्पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यात्रार्थम्: for the sake of sustenance/maintenance (of life-journey)
• यात्रार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अद्याद्: should eat
• Type: Verb
• Root: अद्
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आहारम्: food, intake
• आहारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• व्याधितः: one who is ill; a sick person
• व्याधितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भेषजम्: medicine, remedy
• भेषजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेषज
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

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.