Shloka 14

यज्ञेऽहिंसा-प्राधान्यम्

Primacy of Non-Harm in Sacrificial Ethics

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच यथा शरीर न ग्लायेन्नेयान्मृत्युवशं यथा । तथा कर्मसु वर्तेत समर्थों धर्ममाचरेत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yathā śarīraṃ na glāyet neyān mṛtyuvaśaṃ yathā | tathā karmasu varteta samartho dharmam ācaret ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Yudhiṣṭhira, hãy làm bổn phận của mình sao cho thân thể không hao mòn và không rơi vào quyền lực của tử thần. Vì chỉ khi thân thể còn đủ năng lực và cường tráng, con người mới có thể thực sự hành trì và gìn giữ dharma.”

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'yathā': 'so that

• in such a manner that', 'śarīram': 'the body', 'na': 'not', 'glāyet': 'should become weak, languish, waste away', 'na iyāt (neyāt)': 'should not go

• should not fall into', 'mṛtyu-vaśam': 'the control/power of death', 'tathā': 'thus

• in that way', 'karmasu': 'in actions

• in duties/works', 'varteta': 'one should conduct oneself

• should act', 'samarthaḥ': 'capable, competent, strong', 'dharmam': 'dharma

• moral law', 'ācaret': 'should practice

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Death (Mṛtyu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is not merely an ideal; it requires practical capacity. Therefore one should act and live in a way that preserves bodily strength and avoids self-destructive extremes, because only a capable person can consistently practice righteous duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on righteous living after the war. Here he emphasizes balanced conduct: perform duties without ruining the body, since physical capability supports sustained observance of dharma.