Shloka 9

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः

Devanagari script

वन॑ यास्यामि वार्ष्णेय श्रेयो मे तत्र जीवितुम्‌

Transliteration

vanaṁ yāsyāmi vārṣṇeya śreyo me tatra jīvitum

Translation

سنجے نے کہا— اے وارشنیہ! میں جنگل کو چلا جاؤں گا؛ میرے لیے وہاں جینا ہی بہتر ہے۔

Word by Word

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यास्यामि: I shall go
• यास्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (गत्यर्थे)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वार्ष्णेय: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ष्णेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• श्रेयः: better; preferable
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मे: for me; my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• जीवितुम्: to live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vārṣṇeya (epithet of Kṛṣṇa)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical preference for a life of restraint and safety over participation in destructive conflict: choosing what is ‘śreyaḥ’ (the better course) even if it means withdrawal to the forest.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva war-setting, the speaker expresses a resolve to leave for the forest, addressing ‘Vārṣṇeya’ (Kṛṣṇa), indicating a desire to step away from the battlefield situation and live elsewhere as a preferable alternative.