Shloka 13

Vetasa-Nīti: The Reed and the Flood (वेतस-नीति)

Devanagari script

सारासारं बल वीर्यमात्मनो द्विषतश्न यः । जानन्‌ विचरति प्राज्ञो न स याति पराभवम्‌

Transliteration

sārāsāraṃ bala-vīryam ātmanaḥ dviṣataś ca yaḥ | jānan vicarati prājño na sa yāti parābhavam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“智王洞察自身与敌方之要害与虚浮，明了彼此之兵力与勇武，并据此行事者，终不至于败北。”

Word by Word

• सारासारम्: the essence and the non-essence (merit and demerit)
• सारासारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार + असार
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वीर्यम्: valor, prowess
• वीर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: of oneself / of his own side
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• द्विषतः: of the enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विषत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जानन्: knowing
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विचरति: acts, conducts himself, moves about
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर्
• Form: Lat (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Singular

• प्राज्ञः: wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• याति: goes, comes to
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Lat (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Singular

• पराभवम्: defeat, downfall
• पराभवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराभव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler avoids defeat by discerning essentials from non-essentials and by realistically assessing both his own and the enemy’s strength and prowess, then acting in alignment with that knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma advises Yudhishthira that victory and stability depend on clear-eyed assessment and appropriate conduct rather than impulse or pride.