महर्षेः कीर्तने तस्य भीष्मः प्राञ्जलिर् अब्रवीत् ॥
धर्मम् अर्थं च कामं च त्रीन् एतान् यो ऽनुपश्यति ॥
अर्थम् अर्थानुबन्धं च धर्मं धर्मानुबन्धनम् ॥
कामं कामानुबन्धं च विपरीतान् पृथक् पृथक् ॥
यो विचिन्त्य धिया सम्यग् व्यवस्यति स बुद्धिमान् ॥
तद् इदं धर्मयुक्तं च हितं चैव कुलस्य नः ॥
उक्तं भवत्या यच् छ्रेयः परमं रोचते मम ॥
maharṣeḥ kīrtane tasya bhīṣmaḥ prāñjalir abravīt ||
dharmam arthaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca trīn etān yo 'nupaśyati ||
artham arthānubandhaṃ ca dharmaṃ dharmānubandhanam ||
kāmaṃ kāmānubandhaṃ ca viparītān pṛthak pṛthak ||
yo vicintya dhiyā samyag vyavasyati sa buddhimān ||
tad idaṃ dharmayuktaṃ ca hitaṃ caiva kulasya naḥ ||
uktaṃ bhavatyā yac chreyaḥ paramaṃ rocate mama ||
"At the mention of that great sage, Bhishma, with joined palms, said: 'Whoever looks upon these three together — dharma, artha, and kama; whoever weighs artha and its consequences, dharma and its consequences, kama and its consequences, and also the opposite outcomes — each one separately, having weighed them well with reason, and so decides — he is wise. That which you have said is both in accord with dharma and good for our line — it is the highest good; it pleases me.'"
2fbcd371a5ff · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 4:16:47 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here Bhishma, reverently joining his palms at the name of Vyasa, sets forth the measure of a wise decision. Telling in itself is this reverence: at the mere mention of the great sage Bhishma joins his palms — such is the honor the righteous pay to a saint even in his absence. Here is a model of humility and reverence toward a sadhu: the name of a saint is sacred, and the worthy render honor even to the sound of his name. Telling too is the teaching on the three aims of life — dharma, artha, and kama: the wise man weighs each together with its consequences, not seizing on immediate gain or pleasure at the expense of a further good. Here is the foundation of right discernment: dharma must be the measure for both artha and kama; what accords with dharma leads to good, what opposes it leads to ruin, however sweet it may seem at first. And it is telling that Bhishma approves the proposal precisely because it is "in accord with dharma and good for the line": for him the measure of a decision is neither desire nor gain, but dharma. It should be added that above these three stands a fourth aim — moksha, liberation and love for the Lord, to which the rest ought to be subordinated. Thus scripture reveals the image of wise choice: to weigh all things in the light of dharma and the highest good.