Shloka 19

मोक्षधर्मः — स्नेहपाशच्छेदः

Mokṣa-dharma: Cutting the Bonds of Attachment

Devanagari script

महात्मा सर्वतो दान्त: सर्वत्रवानपाश्रित: । अपूर्वचारक: सौम्यो अनिकेत: समाहित:

Transliteration

mahātmā sarvato dāntaḥ sarvatravān apāśritaḥ | apūrvacārakaḥ saumyo aniketaḥ samāhitaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“真正的大心出家者，应于一切处自制，处处无著，不依于人。行止温和，无固定居所，定心专一；他不应在前一人生阶段所熟悉之地徘徊，而当远离旧缘与扰动，自在而住。”

Word by Word

• महात्मा: great-souled person
• महात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वतः: in every way / on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• दान्तः: self-controlled, subdued
• दान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र

• वानप्राश्रितः: resorting to the forest (forest-dwelling)
• वानप्राश्रितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वानप्राश्रित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपूर्वचारकः: one who does not roam in former (familiar) places
• अपूर्वचारकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपूर्वचारक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सौम्यः: gentle, calm
• सौम्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनिकेतः: homeless; without a fixed abode
• अनिकेतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिकेत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समाहितः: collected, concentrated (in mind)
• समाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse outlines the ethical discipline of a renunciant: complete self-restraint, non-dependence, gentleness, homelessness (no fixed base), and steady concentration—along with the practical rule of avoiding former familiar places that can revive attachments and distract the mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhishma continues advising on the path of renunciation, describing the inner and outer marks of a true saṃnyāsī and how such a person should live to protect detachment and mental steadiness.