Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सुदक्षिणो मधुरवागनसूयुर्जितिन्द्रिय: । धर्मात्मा चानृशंसश्न विक्रान्तो5<थाविकत्थन:,वह राजा अत्यन्त उदार, मधुरभाषी, किसीके दोष न देखनेवाला, जितेन्द्रिय, धर्मात्मा, दयालु और पराक्रमी था। वह कभी अपनी प्रशंसा नहीं करता था

Transliteration

sudakṣiṇo madhuravāg anasūyur jitendriyaḥ | dharmātmā cānṛśaṁsaś ca vikrānto ’thāvikatthanaḥ ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «كان ذلك الملك بالغَ السخاء، عذبَ الكلام، لا يتتبع عيوب الناس ولا يحسد، مالكًا لزمام حواسّه، متفانيًا في الدارما، رحيمًا شجاعًا؛ ولم يكن قطّ يلهج بمدح نفسه.»

Word by Word

सुदक्षिणःvery generous (liberal in giving)

मधुरवाक्sweet-spoken

अनसूयुःfree from envy/censoriousness

जितेन्द्रियःhaving conquered the senses

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled person

चand

अनृशंसःcompassionate, not cruel

विक्रान्तःvaliant, heroic

अथand/then

अविकत्थनःnot boastful

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

a king (unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical portrait of the ideal ruler: generosity and pleasant speech tempered by non-censoriousness, self-mastery, commitment to dharma, compassion, courage, and humility (absence of boasting).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing the character of a king, listing his virtues as a model of righteous conduct and exemplary kingship within the Anushasana Parva’s broader instruction on dharma.