SanskritIASTMeaning
शान्ति-पर्व द्वादशं बुद्धि-वर्धनम्śānti-parva dvādaśaṃ buddhi-vardhanamthe Shanti-parva, the twelfth, which increases wisdom
निर्वेदम् आपन्नः धर्मराजः युधिष्ठिरःnirvedam āpannaḥ dharmarājaḥ yudhiṣṭhiraḥYudhishthira, the King of Dharma, overcome with dispassion
घातयित्वा पितॄन् भ्रातॄन् पुत्रान् बान्धवान्ghātayitvā pitṝn bhrātṝn putrān bāndhavānhaving caused the death of fathers, brothers, sons, and kinsmen
शर-तल्पिकाः धर्माः व्याख्याताःśara-talpikāḥ dharmāḥ vyākhyātāḥthe laws are set forth [by Bhishma] from his bed of arrows
राजभिः वेदितव्याः नय-बुभुत्सुभिःrājabhiḥ veditavyāḥ naya-bubhutsubhiḥwhich kings who seek to rule ought to know
आपद्-धर्माः काल-हेतु-प्रदर्शकाःāpad-dharmāḥ kāla-hetu-pradarśakāḥthe laws for times of calamity, indicating their causes and durations
मोक्ष-धर्माः कथिताः विचित्राः बहु-विस्तराःmokṣa-dharmāḥ kathitāḥ vicitrāḥ bahu-vistarāḥthe laws of liberation are set forth, manifold and extensive
द्वादशं पर्व प्राज्ञ-जन-प्रियम्dvādaśaṃ parva prājña-jana-priyamsuch is the twelfth parva, beloved of the wise
शत-त्रयं त्रिंशत् नव च अध्यायाःśata-trayaṃ triṃśat nava ca adhyāyāḥthree hundred thirty-nine chapters
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि पञ्च शतानि पञ्च-विंशतिः श्लोकाःcaturdaśa sahasrāṇi pañca śatāni pañca-viṃśatiḥ ślokāḥfourteen thousand five hundred twenty-five verses
अतःataḥunderlying form «ataḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
परंparaṃunderlying form «paraṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
शान्तिपर्वśāntiparvaunderlying form «śāntiparva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
बुद्धिवर्धनम्buddhivardhanamunderlying form «buddhivardhanam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्रyatraunderlying form «yatra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
आपन्नोāpannounderlying form «āpanno», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
धर्मराजोdharmarājounderlying form «dharmarājo», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संबन्धिबान्धवान्saṃbandhibāndhavānunderlying form «saṃbandhibāndhavān», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
शान्तिपर्वणिśāntiparvaṇiunderlying form «śāntiparvaṇi», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
धर्माश्dharmāśunderlying form «dharmāś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
शरतल्पिकाःśaratalpikāḥunderlying form «śaratalpikāḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
राजभिर्rājabhirunderlying form «rājabhir», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
वेदितव्याveditavyāunderlying form «veditavyā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
येyeunderlying form «ye», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सम्यङ्samyaṅunderlying form «samyaṅ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
नयबुभुत्सुभिःnayabubhutsubhiḥunderlying form «nayabubhutsubhiḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
आपद्धर्माश्āpaddharmāśunderlying form «āpaddharmāś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तत्रैवtatraivaunderlying form «tatraiva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
कालहेतुप्रदर्शकाःkālahetupradarśakāḥunderlying form «kālahetupradarśakāḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यान्yānunderlying form «yān», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
बुद्ध्वाbuddhvāunderlying form «buddhvā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥunderlying form «puruṣaḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सम्यक्samyakunderlying form «samyak», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सर्वज्ञत्वम्sarvajñatvamunderlying form «sarvajñatvam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अवाप्नुयात्avāpnuyātunderlying form «avāpnuyāt», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
मोक्षधर्माश्mokṣadharmāśunderlying form «mokṣadharmāś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
कथिताkathitāunderlying form «kathitā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
विचित्राvicitrāunderlying form «vicitrā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
बहुविस्तराःbahuvistarāḥunderlying form «bahuvistarāḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
निर्दिष्टम्nirdiṣṭamunderlying form «nirdiṣṭam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एतत्etatunderlying form «etat», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्राज्ञजनप्रियम्prājñajanapriyamunderlying form «prājñajanapriyam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पर्वण्य्parvaṇyunderlying form «parvaṇy», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अत्रatraunderlying form «atra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
परिज्ञेयम्parijñeyamunderlying form «parijñeyam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अध्यायानांadhyāyānāṃunderlying form «adhyāyānāṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
शतत्रयम्śatatrayamunderlying form «śatatrayam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
त्रिंशच्triṃśacunderlying form «triṃśac», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चैवcaivaunderlying form «caiva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तथाध्यायाtathādhyāyāunderlying form «tathādhyāyā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चैवcaivaunderlying form «caiva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तपोधनाःtapodhanāḥunderlying form «tapodhanāḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
श्लोकानांślokānāṃunderlying form «ślokānāṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तुtuunderlying form «tu», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
कीर्तितानिkīrtitāniunderlying form «kīrtitāni», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चैवcaivaunderlying form «caiva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
शतान्य्śatānyunderlying form «śatāny», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
आहुःāhuḥunderlying form «āhuḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पञ्चविंशतिसंख्ययाpañcaviṃśatisaṃkhyayāunderlying form «pañcaviṃśatisaṃkhyayā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
The Shanti-parva is an ocean of instruction poured out by the dying Bhishma, who lies upon a bed of arrows yet awaits the auspicious hour of departure, holding his mind fixed on Krishna. Its crown is the moksha-dharma, the path to liberation. And though many paths are examined here, the highest is pointed out by Bhishma himself in the 'Vishnu-sahasranama': the best of all dharmas is worship of the Lord, remembrance and glorification of the thousand names of Vishnu. Thus the meaning of the Shanti-parva is disclosed: kingship and philosophy have their worth, but their purpose is to lead the soul to devotion to the Lord. Yudhishthira, crushed by the slaughter, is healed not by dry knowledge but by the message of the eternal soul and of the Lord as the highest refuge. Bhishma, instructing from his deathbed, embodies the ideal of the devotee: even in agony he serves others and remembers Krishna.