Shloka 4

भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength

Devanagari script

परवीर्य समाश्रित्य यः समाह्दयते परान्‌ | क्षत्रबन्धु रशक्तत्वाल्लोके स पुरुषाधम:,“जो दूसरेके बल-पराक्रमका आश्रय ले शत्रुओंको युद्धके लिये बुलाता है, वह क्षत्रबन्धु असमर्थ होनेके कारण लोकमें पुरुषाधम कहा गया है

Transliteration

paravīrya samāśritya yaḥ samāhvayate parān | kṣatrabandhuḥ aśaktatvāl loke sa puruṣādhamaḥ ||

Translation

যি আনৰ বল-পরাক্ৰমৰ আশ্ৰয় লৈ শত্রুক যুদ্ধলৈ আহ্বান কৰে, সি কেৱল নামমাত্ৰ ক্ষত্ৰিয়; নিজৰ অক্ষমতাৰ বাবে লোকত সি পুৰুষাধম বুলি গণ্য হয়।

Word by Word

परवीर्यम्another's prowess/strength

समाश्रित्यhaving resorted to / relying on

यःwho

समाह्वयतेchallenges/calls (to battle)

परान्others; enemies

क्षत्रबन्धुःa kshatriya only by kin/name (unworthy kshatriya)

अशक्तत्वात्because of inability/weakness

लोकेin the world

सःhe

पुरुषाधमःthe lowest of men; vile man

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse criticizes the warrior who issues a battle-challenge while depending on others’ strength. In the kṣatriya ethical ideal, courage and accountability must be personal; relying on borrowed might to provoke conflict is portrayed as dishonorable and morally blameworthy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya delivers a moral judgment within the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, characterizing a certain type of challenger: one who summons opponents to fight not from his own capacity but by sheltering behind stronger allies, thereby earning the reproach ‘kṣatrabandhu’ and ‘puruṣādhama’.