Shanti Parva Adhyaya 103 Shloka 3 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 3

Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)

Devanagari script

दैवे पूर्व प्रकृपिते मानुषे कालचोदिते । तद्विद्वांसोनुपश्यन्ति ज्ञानदिव्येन चक्षुषा

Transliteration

bhaṣma uvāca | daive pūrvaṁ prakupite mānuṣe kālacodite | tad vidvāṁso ’nupaśyanti jñānadivyena cakṣuṣā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当神力先起嗔怒，而后众生被“时”（时间）所驱使向前时，智者以知识之天眼洞见其端。既明了应对之法，便制定赎罪与吉祥之仪——如诵持真言、行火供——从而平息那有害的神祟之患。

Word by Word

दैवेin/with regard to the divine (factor)

पूर्वम्first, beforehand

प्रकृपितेwhen (it is) enraged/angered

मानुषेin/with regard to the human (sphere)

कालचोदितेwhen impelled by time

तत्that (thing/event)

विद्वांसःthe learned (men)

अनुपश्यन्तिperceive/observe (clearly)

ज्ञानदिव्येनby (a) knowledge-and-divine (i.e., knowledge-filled divine)

चक्षुषाwith the eye; with vision

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Kāla (Time)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Adverse events are seen as arising from a conjunction of divine disturbance (daiva) and the compulsion of Time (kāla). The wise respond not with panic or blame, but with clear discernment and dharmic remedies—especially expiatory and auspicious rites—aimed at restoring harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he explains how learned people interpret calamity: they recognize the signs of a divine affliction and Time’s pressure upon human affairs, then recommend appropriate ritual and ethical countermeasures (e.g., japa and homa) to mitigate the harm.