Shloka 15

Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)

Devanagari script

द्रौपद्याश्व॒ परिक्लेशं द्यूते च परुषा गिर:

Transliteration

drau-padyāś ca parikleśaṃ dyūte ca paruṣā giraḥ

Translation

قال بهيشما: «(إني أستحضر) كرب دروبدي الشديد، والكلمات القاسية الجارحة التي قيلت في قاعة النرد.»

Word by Word

• द्रौपद्याः: of Draupadī
• द्रौपद्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

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

• परिक्लेशम्: affliction, distress
• परिक्लेशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिक्लेश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्यूते: in the dice-game
• द्यूते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• परुषाः: harsh, cruel
• परुषाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• गिरः: words, speeches
• गिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Draupadī
• dyūta (the dice-game / gambling hall episode)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cruelty is not only in physical acts but also in speech; harsh words and public humiliation—especially in an unjust setting like the dice-game—constitute a grave adharma that corrodes social order and leads to wider catastrophe.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recalls the dice-game episode, highlighting Draupadī’s suffering and the harsh words spoken there, as part of a moral reckoning in the lead-up to war—pointing to past wrongs that demand accountability.