Shloka 55
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
दैत्येन्द्रा दानवेन्द्राश्न॒ यांक्षान्याननुशुश्रुम । बहव: पूर्वदैत्येन्द्रा: संत्यज्य पृथिवीं गता:
daityendrā dānavendrāś ca yakṣān anyān anuśuśruma | bahavaḥ pūrvadaityendrāḥ saṃtyajya pṛthivīṃ gatāḥ ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Narinig namin ang tungkol sa mga panginoon ng Daitya, mga panginoon ng Dānava, at iba pang mga Yakṣa rin. Maraming makapangyarihang haring Daitya noong unang panahon, na iniwan ang daigdig na ito, ay pumanaw na.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the greatest and most formidable rulers—whether Daityas, Dānavas, or Yakṣas—do not retain earthly power; all eventually depart. The verse supports an ethical stance of detachment from sovereignty and pride, urging a dharmic perspective grounded in impermanence.
Bhīṣma, instructing on right conduct and the nature of worldly power, cites traditional accounts: many ancient mighty beings and kings once ruled but ultimately left the earth. He uses this recollection to frame counsel about the limits of power and the inevitability of death.