Shloka 9

अध्याय २२० — बलिवासवसंवादः

Bali–Vāsava Dialogue on Kāla and Steadfastness

Devanagari script

तेषां लिड्जानि वक्ष्यामि येषां समुदयो दम: । अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भ: संतोष: श्रद्दधानता

Transliteration

teṣāṁ liṅgāni vakṣyāmi yeṣāṁ samudayo damaḥ | akārpaṇyam asaṁrambhaḥ santoṣaḥ śraddadhānatā |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“我将说明那些以自制为根本之人的特征：不为吝啬之执所缚，不起躁动与鲁莽之冲动，知足安分，并具坚定之信心。”

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• लिङ्गानि: marks, characteristics
• लिङ्गानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• समुदयः: arising, origin, coming into being
• समुदयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुदय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अकार्पण्यम्: non-miserliness, generosity
• अकार्पण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-कार्पण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• असंरम्भः: absence of agitation/impetuosity
• असंरम्भः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-संरम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संतोषः: contentment
• संतोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रद्दधानता: faith, trustfulness
• श्रद्दधानता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्दधानता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that true self-restraint (dama) is not merely suppression but a generative root of virtues—generosity (akārpaṇya), calm non-reactivity (asaṁrambha), contentment (santoṣa), and sincere faith (śraddadhānatā).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma continues his ethical discourse by introducing a list of observable qualities that identify a person whose character is grounded in self-control.