Shloka 13

तुलाधार-उपदेशः

Tulādhāra’s Instruction to Jājali on Ahiṃsā and Abhaya-dāna

Devanagari script

तत्‌ पुत्र चिन्ताकलिल तदुक्त- मनागतं वै तव सम्प्रतीह । भूतार्थतत्त्वं तदवाप्य सर्व भूतप्रभावाद्‌ भव शान्तबुद्धि:

Transliteration

tat putra cintākalila tad-uktaṃ anāgataṃ vai tava sampratīha | bhūtārtha-tattvaṃ tad avāpya sarva-bhūta-prabhāvād bhava śānta-buddhiḥ, vatsa yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi con, hãy gác lại mớ rối của những lo nghĩ hướng về tương lai và những thuyết luận suy đoán đã được nói ra. Nay hãy hiểu: khi đã nắm được nguyên lý chân thật của thực tại liên hệ đến mọi loài, hãy khiến tâm mình an tĩnh—nhờ sức nâng đỡ và ân sủng thấm khắp muôn sinh, Yudhiṣṭhira yêu dấu.”

Word by Word

• तत्: that (teaching/statement)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पुत्र: O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चिन्ता-कलिल: muddied/entangled with anxiety
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्ताकलिल
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तद्-उक्तम्: that which was said (by them)
• तद्-उक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तदुक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अनागतम्: not arrived; not acceptable/unsound
• अनागतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनागत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तव: of you; for you
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सम्प्रतीह: now, here (at present)
• सम्प्रतीह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्प्रति + इह

• भूत-अर्थ-तत्त्वम्: the true principle/reality of what is (real meaning)
• भूत-अर्थ-तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतार्थतत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that (truth)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्य: having obtained/realized
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• भूत-प्रभावात्: from the power/influence of the Supreme Being (lit. of beings/that which is)
• भूत-प्रभावात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतप्रभाव
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• भव: become; be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular

• शान्त-बुद्धिः: one whose mind is calm
• शान्त-बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तबुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वत्स: O dear child
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma urges Yudhishthira to drop speculative, anxiety-producing theorizing and to seek the essential truth (tattva) of reality as it relates to all beings; true understanding, grounded in what is ultimately real, leads to śānta-buddhi—inner calm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction setting, Bhishma continues counseling Yudhishthira after the war, redirecting him from confused debates about origins and future fears toward a stabilizing metaphysical understanding that brings mental peace.