Shloka 11

Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154

Devanagari script

अलं स्थित्वा श्मशाने5स्मिन्‌ गृध्रगोमायुसंकुले । कड्कालबहुले रौद्रे सर्वप्राणिभयड्करे

Transliteration

alaṁ sthitvā śmaśāne 'smin gṛdhra-gomāyu-saṅkule | kaṅkāla-bahule raudre sarva-prāṇi-bhayaṅkare ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“够了，不要再停留在这火葬场——秃鹫与豺狼成群，骸骨遍地，阴森可怖，令一切众生胆寒。你们不该留在此处；在这样的地方徘徊毫无益处。”

Word by Word

• अलम्: enough; (used to prohibit) do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम्

• स्थित्वा: having stayed/standing
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• श्मशाने: in the cremation-ground
• श्मशाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), सप्तमी, एकवचन

• गृध्रगोमायुसंकुले: crowded with vultures and jackals
• गृध्रगोमायुसंकुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकुल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कङ्कालबहुले: abounding in skeletons
• कङ्कालबहुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• रौद्रे: terrible, dreadful
• रौद्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सर्वप्राणिभयङ्करे: causing fear to all creatures
• सर्वप्राणिभयङ्करे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयङ्कर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• śmaśāna (cremation-ground)
• gṛdhra (vultures)
• gomāyu (jackals)
• kaṅkāla (skeletons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not cling to or linger in places and states dominated by fear, decay, and unwholesome influences; discern what is beneficial and withdraw from what yields no true gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a terrifying cremation-ground filled with scavengers and bones and advises the listener not to remain there, emphasizing that staying brings no benefit.