Shloka 23

Durgātitaraṇa—Conduct for Crossing Difficulties (दुर्गातितरणम्)

Devanagari script

यात्रार्थ भोजन येषां संतानार्थ च मैथुनम्‌ । वाक्‌ सत्यवचनार्थाय दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते

Transliteration

yātrārtha-bhojanaṁ yeṣāṁ santānārthaṁ ca maithunam | vāk satya-vacanārthāya durgāṇy atitaranti te ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Những ai ăn chỉ để nâng đỡ cuộc hành trình của đời sống (không vì vị ngon), giao hợp vì mục đích có con nối dõi (không vì buông thả dục lạc), và lời nói chỉ để nói điều chân thật—những người ấy vượt qua được cả những khủng hoảng và chướng ngại khó khăn nhất.

Word by Word

• यात्रार्थम्: for the purpose of sustaining life-journey
• यात्रार्थम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भोजनम्: food/eating
• भोजनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सन्तानार्थम्: for the sake of offspring
• सन्तानार्थम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्तान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मैथुनम्: sexual union
• मैथुनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वाक्: speech
• वाक्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यवचनार्थाय: for the purpose of speaking truth
• सत्यवचनार्थाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवचन
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• दुर्गाणि: difficulties/dangers
• दुर्गाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अतितरन्ति: cross over/surmount
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (तरति)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural

• ते: they/those people
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moderation and restraint in bodily appetites (food and sex) together with unwavering truthfulness in speech form a practical dharmic discipline; such a life equips a person to overcome severe difficulties.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he summarizes a rule of disciplined living—eat to live, engage in sexuality with the aim of progeny, and speak only truth—stating that such people pass safely through crises.