Shloka 25
भृगु–भरद्वाजसंवादः: वर्णभेदस्य कर्माधारितव्याख्या
Bhrigu–Bharadvaja Dialogue: A Karma-Based Account of Varṇa
भवेस्त्वं यद्यपि त्वाब्यो न राजा न च दैवतम् । देवत्व॑ प्राप्य चेन्द्रत्वं नैव तुष्पेस्तथा सति
bhavestvaṁ yadyapi tvābhyo na rājā na ca daivatam | devatvaṁ prāpya cendratvaṁ naiva tuṣpeḥ tathā sati ||
毗湿摩说道：“纵使你富甲一方，因你是婆罗门，也不能为王，亦不能为神。即便你得神位，乃至获得因陀罗的主宰权，你在那般境地中仍不会满足。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that unchecked desire is insatiable: even wealth, kingship, or divine power (even Indra’s status) cannot guarantee contentment. Ethical life requires cultivating satisfaction (tuṣṭi) rather than endlessly escalating ambitions.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma addresses a listener by highlighting the limits imposed by social role (brahmin vs. king) and, more importantly, the psychological truth that craving can persist even after attaining the highest worldly or heavenly positions.