Shloka 876
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
Devanagari script
सामर्थ्य शोचतो नास्तीत्यतो<हं नाद्य शोचिमि । जब शोक करनेवाले पुरुषका शोक उसके संकटको दूर नहीं हटा पाता है
Transliteration
sāmarthyaṃ śocato nāstīty ato 'haṃ nādya śocimi |
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“哀伤之人无有力量，因此我今日不悲伤。若忧愁不能解除危难，反而削弱受苦者的气力，又何必哀叹？思及此，我不让悲痛支配自己。”
Word by Word
सामर्थ्येin (one's) strength/capacity
सामर्थ्ये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसामर्थ्य
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
शोचतःof (one) grieving
शोचतः:
Adhikarana
TypeVerb
Rootशुच्
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
अस्तिthere is
अस्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
अतःtherefore
अतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतः
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअहम्
Form—, Nominative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
अद्यtoday/now
अद्य:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअद्य
शोचामिI grieve
शोचामि:
TypeVerb
Rootशुच्
FormPresent, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Grief does not solve the underlying problem and instead drains one’s strength; therefore one should cultivate steadiness and conserve inner power for right action.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to Yudhishthira, Bhishma offers counsel on mental discipline, explaining why he chooses not to indulge in sorrow and urging a pragmatic, dharmic composure.