Shloka 1013

धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)

Devanagari script

करिष्ये प्रलयं घोरमात्मज्ञातिविनाशनम्‌ | साधुशिरोमणे! पृथ्वीदेवीकी इच्छाके अनुसार उसका भार उतारकर मैं द्वारकाके समस्त यादव-शिरोमणियोंका नाश करके अपनी जातिका विनाशरूप घोर कर्म करूँगा

Transliteration

kariṣye pralayaṃ ghoraṃ ātma-jñāti-vināśanam | sādhu-śiromaṇe! pṛthivī-devyā icchānusāreṇa tasyā bhāram avatārya dvārakāyāḥ samastān yādava-śiromaṇīn nāśayiṣyāmi sva-jāti-vināśa-rūpaṃ ghoraṃ karma kariṣyāmi |

Translation

قال بهيشما: «سأُحدث فناءً مروِّعًا—فناءً يُهلك أقربائي أنا. يا خيرَ الصالحين! ووفقًا لمشيئة إلهة الأرض (Pṛthvī-devī)، بعدما أُخفِّف عنها ثقلها، سأُبيد جميع سادة اليادافا (Yādava) في دوارَكا (Dvārakā)، وبذلك أرتكب فعلًا رهيبًا، جوهره هلاكُ سلالتي بيدي.»

Word by Word

• करिष्ये: I shall do
• करिष्ये: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), 1st, singular, आत्मनेपद

• प्रलयम्: destruction, dissolution
• प्रलयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• आत्मज्ञाति-विनाशनम्: causing the destruction of one’s own kinsmen
• आत्मज्ञाति-विनाशनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मज्ञातिविनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• साधु-शिरोमणे: O crest-jewel of the virtuous
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधुशिरोमणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• पृथ्वीदेवी-इच्छा-अनुसारम्: according to the wish of the Earth-goddess
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथ्वीदेवीइच्छानुसार (प्रातिपदिक)

• भारम्: burden
• भारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• उतार्य: having removed / after taking off
• Type: Verb
• Root: उतॄ (धातु) / उतारय् (णिजन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), active, same as main verb

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: nominative, singular

• द्वारकायाः: of Dvārakā
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, genitive, singular

• समस्त-यादव-शिरोमणीनाम्: of all the Yādava chiefs (crest-jewels)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्तयादवशिरोमणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• कृत्वा: having done / after doing
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), active, same as main verb

• स्व-जाति-विनाश-रूपम्: in the form of the destruction of my own clan
• स्व-जाति-विनाश-रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वजातिविनाशरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• करिष्यामि: I shall do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), 1st, singular, परस्मैपद

Speaker

(भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pṛthivī-devī (Earth-goddess)
• Dvārakā
• Yādavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even actions that appear horrific can be framed within the Mahābhārata’s idea of restoring cosmic balance: when adharma becomes a ‘burden of the Earth,’ destruction may be presented as a grim instrument of dharma. Yet the verse also highlights ethical tragedy—dharma can demand acts that entail personal loss and the ruin of one’s own kin, underscoring the weight of karma and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma declares an intention to enact a dreadful ‘pralaya’ by destroying the leading Yādavas of Dvārakā, explicitly linking this to Pṛthivī-devī’s wish to have her burden removed. The statement situates the coming annihilation of the Yādava clan as part of a larger, divinely-aligned rebalancing of the world.