Shloka 10

संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाणीह रक्षन्ति स्वर्गधर्माभिगुप्तये । तस्मादर्थे च धर्मे च तपो नानशनात्‌ परम्‌

Transliteration

indriyāṇīha rakṣanti svargadharmābhiguptaye | tasmād arthe ca dharme ca tapo nānaśanāt param ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：在此世间，正直之人守护并约束诸根（感官），以护持那作为通往天界之资粮的法（dharma）。因此，为成就财富与世利（artha）以及正法与义（dharma），苦行（tapas）为至上之道；而诸苦行之中，莫过于断食斋戒。

Word by Word

• {'indriyāṇi': 'the senses

• sense-faculties', 'iha': 'here

• in this world', 'rakṣanti': 'they protect

• they restrain', 'svarga': 'heaven

• celestial world', 'dharma': 'righteousness

• law', 'abhiguptaye': 'for safeguarding

• for protection (dative of purpose)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'arthe': 'in/for artha

• material welfare, prosperity, practical aims', 'ca': 'and', 'tapo (tapas)': 'austerity

• spiritual heat/effort', 'na': 'not

• no', 'anaśanāt': 'than fasting

• from abstaining from food', 'param': 'higher

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• svarga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sense-restraint protects dharma that leads to heaven, but the most powerful instrument for achieving both dharma and worldly welfare (artha) is tapas; among austerities, fasting (anaśana) is declared supreme.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical discipline and the means to uphold dharma, emphasizing control of the senses and the exceptional efficacy of fasting as austerity.