Shloka 17

Adhyāya 164: Gautama as Guest; Kaśyapa’s Satkāra and the Fourfold Arthagati; Journey to Virūpākṣa

Devanagari script

ईर्ष्या कामात्‌ प्रभवति संहर्षाच्चैव जायते । इतरेषां तु सत्त्वानां प्रज्ञया सा प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

īrṣyā kāmāt prabhavati saṁharṣāc caiva jāyate | itareṣāṁ tu sattvānāṁ prajñayā sā praṇaśyati ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：嫉妒由欲望而生；当人见他人欢喜与兴盛时，亦复滋长。然而对众生而言，嫉妒可为般若（prajñā）——分别抉择之慧——所摧破；凭此智慧，便能了知比较之徒劳，收摄贪求。

Word by Word

• ईर्ष्या: jealousy
• ईर्ष्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईर्ष्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कामात्: from desire
• कामात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• प्रभवति: arises, originates
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (प्र +)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संहर्षात्: from delight/joy (of others)
• संहर्षात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• जायते: is born, comes into being
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• इतरेषाम्: of others
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सत्त्वानाम्: of beings/creatures
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रज्ञया: by wisdom/discernment
• प्रज्ञया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सा: that (she/it), i.e., jealousy
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सः/सा/तत्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रणश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (प्र +)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Envy is rooted in desire and in comparing oneself with others’ happiness; it is overcome by prajñā (discriminating wisdom) that checks craving and dissolves comparison.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and inner discipline, Bhishma explains to the listener the causes of envy and prescribes wisdom as the means to eliminate it.