Shloka 46

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

आरोग्याच्च शरीरस्य स पुनर्विन्दते श्रियम्‌ शोकहीनता सुख और उत्तम आरोग्यका उत्पादन करती है

Transliteration

ārogyāc ca śarīrasya sa punar vindate śriyam | śokahīnatā sukhaṃ ca uttamārogyasya utpādikā bhavati; śarīrasya nīrogatvāt manuṣyaḥ punaḥ dhana-sampattim upārjayati | atikramya bahūn anyāṃs tvayi tāvad iyaṃ gatā | kañcit kālam iyaṃ sthitvā tvayi vāsava cañcalā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当身体的健康得以恢复，人便能重获兴盛。无忧无悲生出安乐与上佳的康健；而当身躯脱离疾病，人又能再度积聚财富与资粮。越过许多人之后，这位反复无常的福运女神暂时来到你身边；她在你处停留片刻，噢婆娑婆（因陀罗），终将再次离去。

Word by Word

• आरोग्यात्: from health
• आरोग्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोग्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• शरीरस्य: of the body
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• विन्दते: obtains, finds
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अतिक्रम्य: having passed beyond, surpassing
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्वयि: in you / with you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• तावत्: so long, to that extent
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• इयम्: this (woman/thing)
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गता: gone, has gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कञ्चित्: some
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालम्: time (for some time)
• कालम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इयम्: this (woman/thing)
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थित्वा: having stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• त्वयि: in you / with you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• वासव: O Vāsava (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चञ्चला: fickle, unsteady
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Śrī (Fortune/Prosperity, implied by 'śriyam' and 'cañcalā')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma links ethical well-being to practical flourishing: freedom from grief supports happiness and health, and health enables the recovery of prosperity; yet even prosperity (Śrī) is inherently unstable and should not be relied upon as permanent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction within the Śānti Parva, he addresses Vāsava (Indra) and reflects on the movement of Fortune: she has come to Indra after leaving many others, will remain briefly, and then depart—illustrating the transient nature of worldly success.