Shloka 18

Nirmaryāda-saṃgrāma-varṇana — The Unbounded Clash and Bhīṣma’s Rallying Presence

Devanagari script

अहंकार बल दर्प काम॑ क्रोध॑ च संश्रिता: । मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्धिषन्तो5भ्यसूयका:+

Transliteration

ahaṅkāra-bala-darpa-kāma-krodha-saṁśritāḥ | mām ātma-para-deheṣu pradviṣanto 'bhyasūyakāḥ ||

Translation

الذين يتّخذون من الأنا والقوة الغاشمة والكِبر والشهوة والغضب ملجأً—العيّابون الحاسدون—يؤول بهم الأمر إلى بغضي أنا، الربّ الساكن في الداخل، الحاضر في أجسادهم وفي أجساد الآخرين. إن الآية تذمّ كبرياء النفس والغيرة العدائية بوصفهما عمىً روحيًا يجعل الإنسان يعادي الحضور الإلهي في جميع الكائنات.

Word by Word

• अहंकार: egoism
• अहंकार: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बल: strength
• बल: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दर्प: pride/arrogance
• दर्प: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्प
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• काम: desire
• काम: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्रोधम्: anger
• क्रोधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• संश्रिताः: having resorted to; devoted to
• संश्रिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-श्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Common, Accusative, Singular

• आत्म-पर-देहेषु: in (their) own and others' bodies
• आत्म-पर-देहेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + पर + देह
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• प्रद्विषन्तः: hating; bearing malice
• प्रद्विषन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-द्विष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभ्यसूयकाः: censorious; fault-finding
• अभ्यसूयकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यसूयक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• the indwelling Lord (Antaryāmin / Īśvara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ego, arrogance, desire, and anger—combined with envy and fault-finding—lead a person to oppose the divine presence that dwells equally within oneself and within others; spiritual hostility is rooted in these inner vices.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva context, the discourse highlights moral and spiritual causes behind destructive behavior: certain people, dominated by pride and envy, become antagonistic to the Lord who abides as the inner ruler in all embodied beings.